Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study by Dr. Robert Anda and Dr. Vince Felitti links childhood trauma with many adult diseases (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.) and health issues including social and emotional problems. It measures 10 types of childhood trauma and determines those who may be at higher risk of poor mental and health outcomes as an adult. The ACE questionnaire contains five personal questions and five questions related to other family members including the topics of physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect and family issues such as alcoholism, domestic violence, incarceration, mental illness or disappearance of a parent through divorce, death or abandonment. Those with an ACE score of 4 or more have a serious likelihood of developing a serious disease as an adult. The good news is that those who learn to be resilient lessen their risk of developing negative outcomes!