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!
What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
By The National Institute of Mental Health Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. It is natural [...]
InBrief: Early Childhood Mental Health
Published by The Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University The science of child development shows that the foundation for sound mental health is built early in life, as early experiences—which include [...]
At the Intersection of Autism and Trauma
By Lauren Gravitz Having autism can sometimes mean enduring a litany of traumatic events, starting from a young age. “We know that about 70 percent of kids with autism will have [...]
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Autistic People
By Dr Freya Rumball The risk of PTSD is higher for groups who are more likely to be exposed to traumatic events. Research indicates that autistic people may be more likely [...]
Afraid to sleep indoors: Child survivors of deadly quake left traumatized
By Zeena Saifi, Dalya Al Masri and Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN For victims in Syria, the earthquake is another crisis amid a devastating 12-year civil war. Children and families who were recovering from PTSD and ongoing trauma from [...]
How to Cope with Vicarious Trauma Caused by Videos of Police Brutality
By Jade Hindmon, NPR Many of us spent recent days thinking about the life of a man we never met. And yet, particularly for Black people, know very well. Tyre Nichols [...]