Thinking about Therapy?
Take our quiz to see therapists who are a good match for you.
Take our quiz to see therapists who are a good match for you.
ACE stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences. ACEs account for childhood adversities ranging from abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. In the early 1900s, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the healthcare provider, Kaiser Permanente, conducted a study to determine the effects of ACEs on overall health. The original study was comprised of over 17,000 participants from all different demographic backgrounds. They had participants complete the ACE questionnaire to determine childhood adversities and compared their ACE scores to their reported health issues across the lifespan.
If you’d like to view the ACE questionnaire, you can do a quick search online. I did not attach it to this post due to the nature of the questions which may be triggering if you have experienced any childhood adversity. Please do not search for the questionnaire if you are not in a healthy brain space or do not have a healthcare professional or support person to turn to if you are triggered.
Results of the study showed that at least two-thirds of the participants endorsed at least one ACE and more than one in five participants endorsed 3 or more. The consensus of the study was that as ACE scores increased, so did health issues. The health issues that were identified throughout the study included medical issues, mental health disorders, substance abuse, behavioral issues, obesity, suicide rates, quality of life, etc.
This study did not account for other factors such as genetics, diet, behavioral choices, time spent receiving counseling, social support, exercise, etc. While the ACE study has been peer-reviewed and the results are believed to be sound, it’s important to note that this message is not to generate stress or worry. Instead, the aim of the study was to emphasize the importance of both preventative and protective measures. If you’re hearing about the ACE study in adulthood, preventative measures cannot be taken, however, protective measures can provide significant results. For adults raising children, preventative measures for your children can be adopted in order to reduce the occurrence of ACEs as well as reduce the health risks associated.
Below are some examples of protective measures that can drastically improve the impact ACEs have on overall health.
Protective Measures:
- Going to see a counselor
- Eating healthy
- Exercising regularly
- Surrounding yourself with a support system
- Spending time outdoors
- Abstaining from unhealthy forms of coping such as substance use
- Maintaining a positive mindset
- Having a healthy work-life balance
If you feel that your adverse childhood experiences are affecting your overall health and well-being, it’s never too late to speak to a professional mental health provider. I work with adults ages 25 and up who experienced trauma in childhood.
If you are curious about therapy, you can reference a previous blog post I created on the topic. I shared resources and tips for finding the right therapist. Click the link below for the blog post.
https://www.thehealthycoconut.com/post/how-do-i-know-if-therapy-is-right-for-me
National Center for Injury and Protection and Control, Division of Violence Prevention (2021) About the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html
