By the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Princeton, N.J.—New national data show that at least 38 percent of children in every state have had at least one Adverse Childhood Experience or ACE, such as the death or incarceration of a parent, witnessing or being a victim of violence, or living with someone who has been suicidal or had a drug or alcohol problem. In 16 states, at least 25 percent of children have had two or more ACEs. Findings come from data in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health and an analysis conducted by the Child & Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has collaborated with and supported the work of CAHMI and is working with CAHMI to release today’s data.
ACEs can have serious, long-term impacts on a child’s health and well-being by contributing to high levels of toxic stress that derail healthy physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. Research shows that ACEs increase the long-term risk for smoking, alcoholism, depression, heart and liver diseases, and dozens of other illnesses and unhealthy behaviors. The new data show that 33 percent of children with two or more ACEs have a chronic health condition involving a special health care need, compared to 13.6 percent of children without ACEs.
Share This Post!
How to Talk About Mental Health
By SAMHSA Mental health is essential to a person’s life in the same way as physical health. Hesitation to talk about mental health adds to the notion that the topic is [...]
Prioritizing Minority Mental Health
By CDC Office of Health Equity Mental health matters! Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, handle stress, relate to others, and make [...]
Exploratory Study Associates Childhood Trauma with Brain Features in Abusive Mothers
By University of Fukui As sad as it is, child maltreatment continues to be a prevalent global social issue. Recent studies have revealed that up to one billion children aged 2 [...]
SAMHSA Recognizes Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month
By Stacey Owens, M.S.W., LCSW-C, Military and Veterans Affairs Liaison, Center for Mental Health Services Although often associated with combat veterans, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that [...]
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Cancer
By American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder. Some people develop PTSD after experiencing a frightening or life-threatening situation. PTSD is most [...]
Childhood Trauma Impacts Muscle Function in Later Life
By Morgan Sherburne – University of Michigan Adverse childhood experiences can detrimentally affect muscle function in older adults by impairing mitochondrial activity necessary for energy production. The study analyzed muscle biopsies from [...]