By Joe Gramigna, Healio News, November 9, 2020
Childhood abuse and neglect appear to have significant effects on brain structure and function, as well as on the epigenome, according to a presenter at the NEI Max virtual conference.
“Early life adversity can increase mortality and morbidity in adulthood,” Deborah A. York, MSN, PMHNP-BC, APRN, CCRA, psychiatric nurse practitioner at Mountain Mind Private Practice in Colorado, said in a presentation. “Early life adversity may include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, household mental illness left untreated, household substance use and abuse, incarceration of a household member, parental separation or divorce and domestic abuse in the household.”
Almost 62% of children in the United States experience one or more adverse childhood experiences, according to York, and nearly 25% experience three or more, with the most common form being emotional abuse. Studies have shown higher rates of adverse childhood experiences among individuals who are Black, Hispanic or multiracial vs. those who are white; have less than a high school education vs. those who completed high school or more education; are unemployed or unable to work vs. employed; have an annual income less than $15,000 vs. income greater than $15,000; are lesbian, gay or bisexual vs. straight; and are transgender vs. lesbian, gay, bisexual or cisgender.
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