College of Medicine

Immokalee Regional Director Javier Rosado, Ph.D., Associate Professor Jean Kesnold Mesidor, Ph.D., and Data Manager Yuxia (O ha) Wang, MPH co-authored a new article published in Neurotoxicology and Teratology titled “Assessment of adverse childhood experiences in adolescents from a rural agricultural community: Associations with depressive symptoms and psychosocial problems.” This study examines the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Latino adolescents in a rural agricultural community and their impact on mental health. Of the 852 adolescents screened at a rural primary care clinic, 64% had experienced at least one ACE, 23% showed signs of depression, and 11% faced psychosocial challenges. The study found strong links between ACEs and both depression and psychosocial problems, with females reporting more depression than males, and older adolescents having fewer psychosocial issues. The findings suggest that exposure to both childhood stress and environmental factors in agricultural settings may harm adolescent development, calling for further research to understand the combined effects of these stressors.