• The ACE Study compares adverse childhood experiences against adult health status, on average a half-century later.  eight categories of adverse childhood experience: 
• 3 categories of abuse 
• physical abuse
• emotional abuse
• contact sexual abuse

• growing up in a household with: 
• an alcoholic or drug-user
• a member being imprisoned
• a mentally ill, chronically depressed, or institutionalized member
• the mother being treated violently
• loss of a biological parent

• 2 categories of neglect 
• emotional
• physical

• scoring is given as one point for each category you experience as a child with a total score of 0-10

Ace study found:

• ACE score >=4 the chance of being obese are 250% greater or 2.5 times
• ACE score >4 350% higher rates of depression
• ACE score of 5 or more (4 pretty close) 300% increase in antidepressant medication prescription
• ACE score >4 1350% 9 (or 13.5x) more likely to commit suicide
• •  ACE of 6 or higher you are 3000-5000%, 30-50x greater 
• Suicide the 10th leading cause of death in adults (but unintentional death is number 3, when they dont know it is labeled as this)
• between ages of 10-24 suicide is the leading cause of death
• ACE score >5 there is a 200% or 2x likely you will be on antianxiety medications in adulthood.
• •  Ace score of 4-5 200% chance, 2x risk of smoking
• •  ACE score 6 or more: 250%, or 2.5x the risk of being a smoke as an adult 
• they also found the earlier you smoke the more likely you are to have experienced trauma as a child
• •  ACE score >4 is 650% higher or 6.5x more likely to have alcoholism
• Ace score of 4 or more are 3000% more likely to inject drugs
• Ace score of 6 4600% more likely to inject drugs
• •  Higher the ACE score >5 the more likely you will have 3 or more marriages.
• •  ACE score related to the risk of perpetrating violence, having hallucinations, being prescribed an antipsychotic, impaired work performance, COPD, heart disease, liver disease, somatic disorders
• Higher the ACE score the younger you die: ACE of 6 you can die 20 years earlier

Raising Awareness of ACE's can help:

• Change how people think about the causes of ACEs and who could help prevent them.
• Shift the focus from individual responsibility to community solutions.
• Reduce stigma around seeking help with parenting challenges or substance misuse, depression, or suicidal thoughts.
• Promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments where children live, learn, and play.

Let’s help all children reach their full potential and create neighborhoods, communities, and a world where every child thrives.

“If you want to interrupt ACEs, you have to help the adults heal”

References:

Center for Disease Control. (2021). Adverse Childhood Events. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html

Felitti, V. J. (2006). The origins of addiction. Evidence from adverse childhood experiences.

Felitti, V. J. (2009). Adverse childhood experiences and adult health. Academic pediatrics, 9(3), 131-132.Chicago

Felitti, V., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., et al., (2001) Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. In K. Franey, R. Geffner, & R. Falconer, (Eds.) The cost of child maltreatment: Who pays? We all do. (pp. 53-69). San Diego, CA: