The concept of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, is bantered among behavioral and physical health providers. I publicly have spoken on it. Likewise, Bill Jones, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Wyoming Valley, has noted it publicly, and it is discussed at various behavioral health provider meetings.
I’m not sure, however, that the general public is familiar with it. We all should be.
The original study on ACEs surveyed 17,500 adults regarding incidents in their childhoods of emotional/physical abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse by a parent, incarceration of a parent, domestic violence, divorce of parents, and mental illness by a parent. These are the ACEs.
The findings are staggering: The higher the incident rate, the greater the impact on health across the lifespan. For example: Four or more ACEs correlated to three times the risk of cancer or heart disease, 2.5 times the risk for COPD and hepatitis, 4.5 times the risk for depression, and 12 times the risk for an attempt to end one’s life.
In the original study, 12 percent of those surveyed showed an incidence of four or more ACEs. The population surveyed was 70 percent Caucasian and 70 percent college educated. ACEs affect everyone, regardless of socio-economic status.
Much needs to be done about what Dr. Robert Block, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, calls “the single greatest unaddressed health issue facing our public” – adverse childhood experiences, or childhood trauma.”
At the Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania, we have taken steps to address this significant detriment to our children, our families and our community’s well-being.
One year ago, we established a Child Advocacy Center in Montrose that services physically and sexually abused children from Wyoming and Susquehanna counties. The intent of the program is to coordinate the services of law enforcement, child protective services, victim services and medical services into one location, thereby reducing trauma to the child victim.
[For more of this story, written by Mike Zimmerman, go to http://timesleader.com/opinion...hood-traumas-or-aces]
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