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November 11, 2019
Catholic San FranciscoPreventing emotional and physical childhood trauma could reduce a large number of health conditions, including up to 21 milllion cases of depression, 1.9 million cases of heart disease and 2.5 million cases of overweight/obesity, says a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Six in 10 adults experienced four or more traumatic childhoood events. Toxic stress (extreme and repetitive stress) from such events can change brain development and affect how the body responds to stress, the agency said.
A link between childhood trauma and adult disease has been observed since the 1990s when a study by CDC and Kaiser Permanente found "a strong graded relationship between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several of the leading causes of death in adults."
Studies in Philadelphia and elswhere have since replicated the findings. "Stress can literally make people sick. What happens at home in the early years -- and into adolescence and early adulthood -- affects health across the lifespan," according the Community Resilience Cookbook, an online resource sponsored by the Health Federation of Phladelphia.
Thirty-two states now study adverse childhood experiences and all report 13 to 17% of the population with four or more adverse events, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a San Francisco pediatrician recently named California's surgeon general by Gov. Gavin Newsom, said in a 2017 talk.
An "ACE score" of four or more is associated with double the risk of heart disease and cancer and 12 times the risk of suicide, she said, adding that six or more adverse experiences shorten lifespan by 20 years.
The CDC provided the following information on its website in an effort to boost awareness and prevention.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood. ACEs can include violence, abuse, and growing up in a family with mental health or substance use problems. Toxic stress from such experiences can change brain development and affect how the body responds to stress. ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness and substance misuse in adulthood.
S61% of adults had at least one ACE and 16% had 4 or more types of ACEs.
Females and several racial/ethnic minority groups were at greater risk for experiencing 4 or more ACEs.
Many people do not realize that exposure to ACEs is associated with increased risk for health problems across the lifespan.Preventing ACEs can help children and adults thrive and potentially:
Lower risk for conditions like depression, asthma, cancer and diabetes in adulthood.
The agency said health care providers can anticipate and recognize current risk for ACEs in children and history of ACEs in adults, refer patients to effective services and support and link adults to family-centered treatment approaches that include substance abuse treatment and parenting interventions.Employers can adopt and support family-friendly policies, such as paid family leave and flexible work schedules.
States and communities can improve access to high-quality childcare by expanding eligibility, activities offered, and family involvement; use effective social and economic supports that address financial hardship and other conditions that put families at risk for ACEs; and enhance connections to caring adults and increase parents’ and youth skills to manage emotions and conflicts using approaches in schools and other settings.
The CDC said everyone can recognize challenges that families face and offer support and encouragement to reduce stress.
Visit http://go.usa.gov/xVvqD for more information.