Adverse Childhood Experiences and Depressive Disorder: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Case–Control Study from North India

Anubhav Katyal, Bhavuk Garg, Dinesh Kataria, Shiv Prasad — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are increasingly recognized as important determinants of adult mental health. Evidence suggests that childhood adversity is associated with depression; however, studies exploring cumulative ACEs in the Indian context remain limited.

Objective: To examine the association between adverse childhood experiences and depressive disorder and explore their relationship with depression severity.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional case–control study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Fifty patients diagnosed with depressive disorder according to ICD-11 Diagnostic Criteria for Research (DCR) and 50 healthy controls were recruited using purposive sampling. Controls were screened using the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), with scores less than 8 considered eligible. The Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) was administered to both groups, while depression severity among cases was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Statistical analyses included chi-square test, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman correlation, and Kruskal–Wallis test.

Results: Cases demonstrated significantly higher ACE frequency total scores than controls ACE frequency related to parental abuse was significantly higher among cases, demonstrating a moderate-to-large effect size. Although ACE scores showed a positive trend with increasing depression severity, no statistically significant association was observed between cumulative ACE scores and HDRS severity.

Conclusion: Adverse childhood experiences, particularly parental abuse, were significantly associated with depressive disorder in adulthood. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating trauma-informed assessment into psychiatric care and underscore the need for preventive strategies addressing childhood adversity.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2581.5822.202602

How to cite this article:
Katyal A, Garg B, Kataria D, Prasad S. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Depressive Disorder: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Case–Control Study from North India. J Adv Res Psychol Psychother. 2026; 9(1&2): 1-5.

Dissociative Experiences and Symptom Severity in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study from North India

Bhavuk Garg, Arnav Sharma, Shiv Prasad, Om Sai Ramesh V — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and disabling psychiatric disorder characterized by intrusive obsessions and repetitive compulsions that significantly impair functioning and quality of life. Increasing evidence suggests that dissociative experiences may contribute to the clinical heterogeneity and symptom severity of OCD. However, limited data are available from India examining the relationship between dissociative experiences and OCD severity. The present study aimed to assess dissociative experiences in patients with OCD and examine their correlation with symptom severity.
Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among patients diagnosed with OCD attending the psychiatry services of a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India. Adult patients meeting diagnostic criteria for OCD were recruited consecutively after obtaining written informed consent. Symptom severity was assessed using the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and dissociative experiences were evaluated using the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Sociodemographic and clinical details were recorded using a semi-structured proforma. Correlation analyses were performed to examine correlation between dissociative experiences and OCD symptom severity.
Results: A significant positive correlation was observed between dissociative experiences and overall OCD symptom severity. Dissociative experiences were also significantly correlated with obsessive symptom severity and compulsive symptom severity. Patients with greater OCD severity demonstrated higher dissociative experiences, indicating a close relationship between dissociative psychopathology and OCD symptom burden.
Conclusion: Dissociative experiences were significantly associated with symptom severity in OCD. Routine assessment of dissociative symptoms in individuals with OCD may help identify clinically relevant subgroups and guide comprehensive treatment planning. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to explore causal pathways and implications for treatment outcomes.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2581.5822.202601

How to cite this article:
Garg B, Sharma A, Prasad S, Ramesh O S V. Dissociative Experiences and Symptom Severity in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study from North India. J Adv Res Psychol Psychother. 2026; 9(1&2): 6-11.

Journal of Advanced Research in Psychology & Psychotherapy (E-ISSN: 2581-5822)

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Depressive Disorder: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Case–Control Study from North India

Dissociative Experiences and Symptom Severity in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study from North India