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Original Research
Online Published: 05 Oct 2026
 
RMJ. 2026; 51(4): 917-921


Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students

Samira Faiz Bari, Sehrish Zehra Bari, Farhan Muhammad Qureshi, Nadia Khalid, Sarwat Wajahat Sheikh, Faisal Shah.


Abstract
Objective: To investigate the prevalence and types of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their relationship to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and associated psychological outcomes among university students of Pakistan.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study included 400 undergraduate students in Karachi, using a non-probability convenience sampling technique with clustering by district and institution. A questionnaire was developed regarding socio-demographic information and ACEs specific items, while anxiety was observed through the standardized Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. ACE was defined as exposure to at least one ACE. To determine the association between ACEs and GAD, binary logistic regression was used. Data were analysed through SPSS Version 26.
Results: High prevalence of ACEs was observed (72.8%) among the sample. Individuals with ACEs had 2.7 times higher odds of GAD in the unadjusted model (OR 2.71, 95% CI: 1.29-5.68, p=0.008). This association strengthened after adjusting for socio-demographics (AOR 2.89, 95% CI: 1.36-6.12, p=0.006). Among those with ACEs, a high frequency of trust issues (64.6%), self-harm ideation (41.6%), smoking (17.5%), and professional help-seeking (30.6%) were found.
Conclusion: ACEs are highly prevalent and significantly associated with GAD and a range of adverse psychosocial outcomes in Pakistani youth. These findings emphasize the importance of considering ACEs in public health and educational settings and suggest that trauma-informed interventions may be beneficial to mitigate this burden.

Key words: Adverse childhood experiences, traumatic childhood experiences, Generalized Anxiety Disorder.


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Bari SF, Bari SZ, Qureshi FM, Khalid N, Sheikh SW, Shah F. Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students. RMJ. 2026; 51(4): 917-921.

Web Style

Bari SF, Bari SZ, Qureshi FM, Khalid N, Sheikh SW, Shah F. Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students. https://www.rmj.org.pk/?mno=307128 [Access: November 11, 2026].

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Bari SF, Bari SZ, Qureshi FM, Khalid N, Sheikh SW, Shah F. Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students. RMJ. 2026; 51(4): 917-921.


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Bari SF, Bari SZ, Qureshi FM, Khalid N, Sheikh SW, Shah F. Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students. RMJ. (2026), [cited November 11, 2026]; 51(4): 917-921.


Harvard Style

Bari, S. F., Bari, . S. Z., Qureshi, . F. M., Khalid, . N., Sheikh, . S. W. & Shah, . F. (2026) Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students. RMJ, 51 (4), 917-921.


Turabian Style

Bari, Samira Faiz, Sehrish Zehra Bari, Farhan Muhammad Qureshi, Nadia Khalid, Sarwat Wajahat Sheikh, and Faisal Shah. 2026. Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students. Rawal Medical Journal, 51 (4), 917-921.


Chicago Style

Bari, Samira Faiz, Sehrish Zehra Bari, Farhan Muhammad Qureshi, Nadia Khalid, Sarwat Wajahat Sheikh, and Faisal Shah. "Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students." Rawal Medical Journal 51 (2026), 917-921.


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Bari, Samira Faiz, Sehrish Zehra Bari, Farhan Muhammad Qureshi, Nadia Khalid, Sarwat Wajahat Sheikh, and Faisal Shah. "Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students." Rawal Medical Journal 51.4 (2026), 917-921. Print.


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Bari, S. F., Bari, . S. Z., Qureshi, . F. M., Khalid, . N., Sheikh, . S. W. & Shah, . F. (2026) Adverse childhood experiences as a predictor of generalized anxiety disorder in a cohort of Pakistani University Students. Rawal Medical Journal, 51 (4), 917-921.



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