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ACE
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study examines the relationship between childhood trauma and negative consequences later in life.
The ACE study providesw evidence that certain situations that children encounter can affect their physical and mental health when they become adults.
How could childhood events affect adult health?
It is clearer than ever that time does not heal some of the adverse experiences common in childhood. A child does not “just get over” some things, even though decades may have passed since the event. If a child has been exposed to any one or more of the events listed below, the person as an adult will face a much greater risk of disease and emotional disorders. these dangerous events include:
- Recurrent physical abuse
- Recurrent emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse
- An alcohol or drug abuser in the family
- An incarcerated household member
- Someone who is chronically depressed, suicidal, institutionalized, or mentally ill
- A parent or other household member being treated violently
- A single parent or missing parents
- Emotional or physical neglect
These nine categories usually do not occur in isolation; an individual will often experience more than one. A child frequently does not grow up only with an alcoholic parent or only with domestic violence in an otherwise well-functioning household.
How do these childhood experiences play out decades later in a doctor’s office?
Adverse childhood experiences are vastly more common than recognized. Adult life-threatening diseases have a direct relationship to these nine categories of adverse childhood experiences. Future risks include COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), intravenous drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, liver disease, ischemic heart disease, and alcoholism. Emotional disorders which have a strong relationship to adverse childhood experiences include attempted suicide, chronic depression, serious job problems, intimate partner violence, and becoming a victim of rape.
Adverse childhood experiences are common, destructive, and have an effect that often lasts for a lifetime. They are among the most important determinants of the health and well-being of adults and can shorten life. Unfortunately, these problems are painful to recognize and difficult to deal with. There must be encouragement in each family to do the best we can to prevent these experiences. It is the responsibility of all of us caring for children. Parents especially should be aware of these risks and seek help to change adverse family behavior. When such incidents occur (even long ago) it is important to speak with health professionals regarding help that is available.
What is the ACE Study?
The ACE Study is an ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente. Led by co-principal investigators Robert F. Anda, MD, MS, and Vincent J. Felitti, MD, the ACE Study is perhaps the largest scientific research study of its kind, analyzing the relationship between multiple categories of childhood trauma (ACEs) and health, and behavioral outcomes later in life.
The ACE Study uses a simple scoring method to determine the extent of each study participant’s exposure to childhood trauma.
