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Trauma Can Last a Lifetime Understanding Lifespan Effects of Childhood Trauma

Trauma Can Last a Lifetime Understanding Lifespan Effects of Childhood Trauma. Westchester Children’s Association Supported by the Edith Glick Schoolman Children’s Foundation. Why We Care.

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Trauma Can Last a Lifetime Understanding Lifespan Effects of Childhood Trauma

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  1. Trauma Can Last a Lifetime Understanding Lifespan Effects of Childhood Trauma Westchester Children’s Association Supported by the Edith Glick Schoolman Children’s Foundation

  2. Why We Care The healthy development of all young children benefits all of society by providing a solid foundation for responsible citizenship, economic productivity,lifelong physical and mental health, strong communities, and sustainable democracy and prosperity. Dr. Jack Shonkoff Director, Center on the Developing Child Harvard University

  3. Today’s Presentation 1. The ACE Study 2. Implications of Trauma/Stress 3. What We Can Do

  4. The Relationship of Adverse Childhood Experiences to Adult Health Status A collaborative effort of Kaiser Permanente and The Center for Disease ControlVincent J. Felitti, M.D.Robert F. Anda, M.D.

  5. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE Study) • Largest study of its kind ever (almost 18,000 participants) • Examined the health and social effects of adverse childhood experiences over the lifespan • Questionnaire of 10 ACEs

  6. Participants • Majority of participants were 50 or older (62%) • White/Caucasian (77%) • College educated (72%)

  7. ACE Calculator Population of original ACE study similar to group today – what could we expect?

  8. ACE Study Results • Only one-third had a zero ACE score • One in four had ACE score of 2 or more • One in six had an ACE score of four or more

  9. ACE score 4 or more(increases compared to general public) • Victim of domestic • Men 5% • Women 14% • Teen Pregnancy 40% • Teen Paternity 35% • Drug Addiction 8% • Smoking 16% • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 8%

  10. ACEs and Adult Alcoholism

  11. ACEs and Chronic Depression

  12. ACEs, Smoking, and Lung Disease

  13. The ACE Score and the Prevalence of Severe Obesity (BMI >35) Percent obese (%) ACE Score

  14. The Science Behind the Findings

  15. Early Childhood Adversity Can Have Lifelong Consequences • Research on the biology of stress helps explain some of the underlying reasons for differences in learning, behavior, and physical and mental health.

  16. Stress • Positive Stress • Precipitants include the challenges of meeting new people, dealing with frustration, getting an immunization, or adult limit-setting. • Tolerable Stress • Precipitants include death or serious illness of a loved one, a frightening injury, parent divorce, terrorism,a natural disaster,or homelessness. • Toxic Stress • Precipitants include extreme poverty, physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, severe maternal depression, substance abuse, or family violence.

  17. What We Know About Brain Development • Brain development begins prenatally • Brains are built over time, shaped by interaction between genetics and experience • Social, emotional and cognitive development are highly interrelated

  18. Brain Development • Brain architecture and skills are built in a hierarchical “bottom-up” sequence. • Brain plasticity and the ability to change behavior decrease over time.

  19. Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes: A Theory of Change Center on Developing Child Harvard University

  20. What We Know • Elevated levels of stress hormones (i.e., cortisol) disrupt normal brain development. • Nurturing and responsive relationships build healthy brain architecture • Childhood experiences impact individuals, families, and communities

  21. SO WHAT ?

  22. What does this all mean? • What is being done in Westchester County? • What is WCA doing? • What can you do?

  23. What is being done in Westchester? • Shared language and perspective uniting many fields of health, mental health, substance abuse, social & human services • Trauma-informed programs and services • Focus on prevention • Building resilience

  24. What Is WCA Doing? • Raising public awareness • ACE presentations • Investing in prevention: • Home visitation and family support • Systematized collection of data • Advocating for public policy/funding that addresses: • Children’s Exposure to early trauma • Early Childhood programs • Health systems to integrate an understanding of adverse childhood experiences

  25. What Can You Do? • Speak-up for children in your life • “What happened to you? NOT  What is wrong with you?” • Share the message • Invite WCA to talk to other groups • Other ideas

  26. Call to Action • Be an informed voter and VOTE • Hold elected officials and community leaders accountable

  27. 3 Take-Aways • Significant early adversity can lead to lifelong problems • There are solutions - Early Intervention is effective • Everyone has a role to play

  28. Westchester Children’s Association 1914- 2014Celebrating 100 Years of Child Advocacy Thank You. For more information www.wca4kids.org 914-946-7676 Allison Lake, alake@wca4kids.org

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