*4.3. Limitations*

This study has limitations that can be built upon for future research. For example, the convenience sample recruited for this study led to an unequal gender balance, with 88% of this study being female. Additionally, this study required participants to complete surveys electronically and to have access to the internet, which is a barrier for people with complex and enduring mental health difficulties [45]; thus, this study may be prone to sampling bias. Lastly, this study does not account for other psychosocial stressors or contextual factors which people with ACE may experience, and while increasing and incremental psychological distress was associated with ACE, future research should aim to investigate and understand psychosocial inequity alongside psychological outcomes.
