What Is the Adverse Childhood Experiences [ACEs] Study and What Is Its Significance?
The ACEs Study [published in 1998] is important because it found links between childhood trauma and long-term health, behaviour and social consequences among adults.
How Were These Links Discovered?
Per the below infographic, the authors – from Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Emory University and the University of Arizona – asked adult patients about any exposure they had as a child to the following:
- Recurrent physical abuse
- Recurrent emotional abuse
- Contact sexual abuse
- Alcohol and/or drug abuser in the household
- An incarcerated household member
- Someone in the household who is chronically depressed, mentally ill, institutionalized or suicidal
- Mother is treated violently
- Parents are separated or divorced
- Emotional neglect
- Physical neglect
