A new WHO/Europe study finds that greater exposure to adverse childhood experiences is strongly associated with poorer mental health, quality of life and socioeconomic outcomes in young adulthood.
More than 2 in 3 young adults surveyed across the European Union, Iceland and Norway report experiencing at least 1 adverse childhood experience (ACE), according to a new report from the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe).
The findings come from a survey of more than 26 000 young adults aged 18–30, recruited through national panels, with data collected between November 2025 and January 2026. The study measured exposure to 9 forms of adversity, including abuse, neglect and household dysfunction (e.g. domestic violence, living with a household member experiencing mental illness or substance use issues), and looked at patterns across countries rather than ranking them.
More than 1 in 5 young adults report experiencing 4 or more ACEs. Among those who reported 4 or more ACEs, 76.3% felt they had needed professional mental health support in the previous year, compared with 36.7% of those who reported none. Those who reported 4 or more ACEs were also 6 times more likely to report experiencing violence and 10 times more likely to report perpetrating violence as young adults, and they were around 8 times more likely to report experiencing cyberbullying in childhood. Adversity accumulates, and the more of it a person experiences, the greater their likelihood of reporting a range of poor outcomes later in life. Higher ACE exposure was also associated with lower educational attainment; a greater likelihood of being out of education, employment or training; lower household income; lower trust in others; and weaker feelings of connection to community. Together, these consequences reach beyond the health sector and into social care, education, criminal justice and employment.
“When a child grows up around violence or a household in crisis, we shouldn't be surprised that it follows them into the classroom, job market and their relationships years later”, said Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of Health Systems, WHO/Europe. “What's often missed is just how widespread this is. We're not talking about a small, unlucky minority. A majority of the young adults in this survey experienced at least one adverse childhood experience. This isn't a mental health issue in isolation. It's a social and economic one, and it needs every sector at the table, not just health services.”
Funded by the European Commission, the survey was carried out by WHO/Europe in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, whose researchers led the analysis.
“This is the first time we've been able to measure childhood adversity in a comparable way across so many European countries”, said Professor Mark Bellis, of Liverpool John Moores University and academic lead for the study. “The findings are remarkably consistent. Adverse childhood experiences are at the root of poorer health, social and economic outcomes among young adults across Europe. The good news is that ACEs can be prevented and their impacts reduced. With support from policymakers, investment in safer and more nurturing childhoods will help deliver healthier populations, stronger communities and a more prosperous future for Europe.”
WHO/Europe is calling for a 3-part response:
- First, prevent adversity at the source, by supporting families and tackling the conditions that drive it, including poverty, social exclusion and community violence.
- Second, build resilience where adversity can't be prevented through supportive relationships, life skills and leveraging of community strengths, since the report finds that having supportive adults around is linked to better mental health outcomes.
- Third, make public services trauma-informed, so that health, social care, education and justice systems recognize and respond to people affected by childhood adversity and help break the cycle before it passes to the next generation.