Findings from a retrospective study of cumulative risk, the Adverse Early Childhood Experiences (ACEs; Anda et al., 2006; Felitti et al., 1998) study have prompted recent discussion about the deleterious impact of childhood traumatic experiences on long-term psychosocial and physical health and well-being. The ACEs research demonstrates that serious adverse experiences in childhood were associated with psychosocial problems in adults, including depression, anxiety, suicide, aggression, and intimate partner violence (Anda et al., 2006; Felitti et al., 1998). Exposure to ACEs also increases the likelihood of individuals’ participation in behaviors related to less optimal physical health such as smoking, abuse of alcohol and other drugs, risky sexual behavior, and physical inactivity (Anda et al., 2006; Felitti et al., 1998). Adverse experiences in childhood also increase the likelihood of serious illnesses and early mortality in adulthood, such as obesity, cancer, and diseases of the heart, lungs, and liver (Felitti et al., 1998).

https://scorecard.clearimpact.com/Administration/File/GetS3FileIndex?fileID=64567

Steps to increase the benefits of education include: 

• Spread awareness of ACE study results to the public and healthcare workers.
• Screen for ACE in children and adults via questionnaire.
• Inform healthcare workers on the benefits of inquiring about ACEs.
• Target at-risk individuals, families and first-time parents to prevent and/or treat individuals with ACE.
• Provide resources such as parenting classes that are affordable and realistic.
• Train childcare providers to coordinate multilevel and multigenerational family-centered support and system of services.
• Interrupt the cycle of ACEs within a family.
• As a community, develop ACE task forces or guide teams.

Increasing awareness of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and the benefits of inquiring about ACE, University of Vermont, ScholarWorks@UVM: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&amp=&context=fmclerk&amp=&sei-redir=1&referer=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.bing.com%252Fsearch%253Fq%253Dincreasing%252Bawareness%252Bof%252Badverse%252Bchildhood%252Bexperience%252B%252528ACE%252529%252Band%252Bthe%252Bbenefits%252Bof%252Binquiring%252Babout%252BACE%2526form%253DIENTHT%2526mkt%253Den-us%2526httpsmsn%253D1%2526refig%253D47d8dfd276fd4fe582071bc00d43cdb5%2526sp%253D-1%2526pq%253Dincreasing%252Bawareness%252Bof%252Badverse%252Bchildhood%252Bexperience%252B%252528ace%252529%252Band%252B%2526sc%253D0-63%2526qs%253Dn%2526sk%253D%2526cvid%253D47d8dfd276fd4fe582071bc00d43cdb5#search=%22increasing%20awareness%20adverse%20childhood%20experience%20%28ACE%29%20benefits%20inquiring%20about%20ACE%22

Strategy 1: Create and disseminate toolkit.