By Linda Mintle, Beliefnet, February 5, 2020
If you want to give your child the best chance of preventing mental illness and a host of medical problems, this is the single most important factor to consider. It affects 1 in 4 children. I am talking about child maltreatment. Child abuse comes in the form of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect and leads to problems later in life. This is a stronger predictor for psychiatric and physical problems, more so than any gene or other factor.
When children experience adverse childhood experiences, this early life stress puts them at risk for more than Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The risk for mood disorders, addiction, schizophrenia and other mental problems is higher. Not only is their risk higher, but they are also more treatment resistant. This is because early life trauma changes the brain and body. Child maltreatment changes the structure and function of the brain and predicts future mood symptoms. The effects are long-term in terms of their neurobiology and immune responses.
Six early trauma experiences are particularly difficult for children. They are the death of a close friend or family member, parental separation or divorce, traumatic sexual experiences such as rape, incest, etc., being a victim of violence such as an attack or assault, having an extreme illness or injury, or experiencing any other event or trauma considered to shape their life.
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