Adverse experiences in childhood have a negative impact on physical and mental health in later life. Using a trauma‐informed model of care helps to support adult survivors, parents and children

Introduction

Nurses may struggle to understand how adverse experiences in childhood (ACEs) can negatively affect physical and mental health in adulthood, and may not know how to approach patients who may have had ACEs. This article explains ACEs and their impact, and looks at a trauma-informed care model as a framework for prevention, early intervention and recovery.

Adverse childhood experiences

The term ‘adverse childhood experience’ was coined in the US in the 1990s by Felitti et al (1998) who showed that ACEs appeared to be common and have a clear relationship with a wide range of illnesses and social problems. They found that patients who had experienced childhood sexual abuse were much more likely to drop out of treatment for obesity. They expanded the definition to encompass:

• Sexual abuse;
• Physical abuse or neglect;
• Emotional abuse or neglect;
• Domestic violence;
• Substance misuse in the household;
• Mental illness in the household;
• Parental separation or divorce;
• Imprisonment of a household member.

Today, care models based on this groundbreaking research also include bullying, racism, intergenerational trauma and poverty (Kroeker, 2017).

[For more on this story by, Catherine Gilliver, go to https://www.nursingtimes.net/roles/nurse-educators/trauma-informed-care-in-response-to-adverse-childhood-experiences/7024813.article]