By the Center for Disease Control
The CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is one of the largest investigations of childhood abuse and neglect and later-life health and well-being.
The original ACE Study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997 with two waves of data collection. Over 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization members from Southern California receiving physical exams completed confidential surveys regarding their childhood experiences and current health status and behaviors.
The CDC continues ongoing surveillance of ACEs by assessing the medical status of the study participants via periodic updates of morbidity and mortality data.
More detailed information about the study can be found in the links below or in “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults,” published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 1998, Volume 14, pages 245–258.
“As the ACE study has shown, child abuse and neglect is the single most preventable cause of mental illness, the single most common cause of drug and alcohol abuse, and a significant contributor to leading causes of death such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and suicide.”
– Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
Share This Post!
Child abuse and eating disorder symptoms: Shedding light on the contribution of identification with the aggressor
Source: ScienceDirect Childhood abuse has been increasingly recognized as a risk factor for eating disorder symptoms. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that childhood abuse may lead to identification with the aggressor, an automatic [...]
Can the positive buffer the negative? Testing the impact of protective childhood experiences on adjustment in adults following trauma exposure
Source: National Library of Medicine It is unclear if protective childhood experiences (PCEs), like emotional support and economic stability, exert influence on adulthood adjustment. Prior research suggests PCEs can promote childhood resilience through [...]
Complex Trauma Effects
Source: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Children whose families and homes do not provide consistent safety, comfort, and protection may develop ways of coping that allow them to survive and function [...]
Trauma-Informed Organizations
Source: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Part 2 provides a broad overview of how to create and implement an institutional framework for trauma-informed services in program delivery and staff development, policies [...]
Early childhood trauma and its long-term impact on cognitive and emotional development
Source: National Library of Medicine Childhood trauma has profound, long-term effects on cognitive and emotional development. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to synthesis the evidence around the long-term impact of [...]
Helping children who have or are experiencing trauma this holiday season
For many, the holiday season is a joyful one – the popular song “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas” comes to mind – but for children who have or are experiencing trauma, Christmas, [...]