Critical Connections Among Embedding of Childhood Adversity and Adult Chronic Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary Disorders: A Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (11) ◽  
pp. 33-47
Author(s):  
Rebecca Bryan ◽  
Janice Beitz
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Improve Patient Care ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Irritable Bowel ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND: A gap in the literature exists demonstrating associations between adverse child experiences (ACEs) as potential a priori contributing factors and gastrointestinal (GI)/genitourinary (GU) disorders. PURPOSE: A narrative review of the literature was conducted to explore critical connections between ACEs and GI/GU disorders with a working hypothesis of a dose–responsive relationship existing among them. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, and Web of Science using search terms adverse childhood experiences, childhood adversity, obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, and genitourinary disorders, and secondary searches of obesity and specific GI/GU disorders (eg, irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic pain). Duplicates and articles with inappropriate focus were discarded after review. RESULTS: A total of 58 articles were included. Research identified showed that ACEs do play a role in adult GI and GU morbidities in a dose–response manner, and selected factors such as socioeconomic status, race, gender identity, and physiologic state (eg, obesity) confer higher risk. Research also suggested that genetic/epigenetic mechanisms are at play in disease occurrence, and the impact of ACEs may be mitigated with positive life experiences. CONCLUSION: Research on the relationship between ACEs and GI/GU disorders is heterogeneous, notably due to wide variations in how types of ACEs are defined and screening methods used. Despite this limitation, associations are demonstrated. Awareness of a possible correlation between ACEs and risk of GI/GU disorders has the potential to improve patient care, especially through trauma-informed strategies.

Early Adversity and Neurodevelopment

2021 ◽  
pp. 315-336
Author(s):  
Raissa Miller
Keyword(s):  
Brain Research ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Early Adversity ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
School Based ◽  
Neuroscience Research ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Early Life Events ◽  
The Impact

This chapter addresses the impact of early childhood adversity on the developing brain and nervous system. The author provides a critical review of the Adverse Childhood Experiences study and expands the concept of early adversity to include systemic and environmental stressors and a focus on resilience in addition to potential pathology. Particular focus is given to reviewing contemporary neuroscience research on the influence of negative early life events, including impacts on brain structure, function, connectivity, epigenetic processes, and inflammation. The author identifies overarching findings while also acknowledging limitations of the current science and the difficulties inherent in practitioners' translating primary brain research into school-based interventions. Some ideas for practical applications of the science are provided.

scholarly journals The relationship between childhood adversity and food insecurity: ‘It’s like a bird nesting in your head’

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 2643-2653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Chilton ◽  
Molly Knowles ◽  
Jenny Rabinowich ◽  
Kimberly T Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjectiveAdverse childhood experiences, including abuse, neglect and household instability, affect lifelong health and economic potential. The present study investigates how adverse childhood experiences are associated with food insecurity by exploring caregivers’ perceptions of the impact of their childhood adversity on educational attainment, employment and mental health.DesignSemi-structured audio-recorded in-person interviews that included (i) quantitative measures of maternal and child health, adverse childhood experiences (range: 0–10) and food security using the US Household Food Security Survey Module; and (ii) qualitative audio-recorded investigations of experiences with abuse, neglect, violence and hunger over participants’ lifetimes.SettingHouseholds in Philadelphia, PA, USA.SubjectsThirty-one mothers of children <4 years old who reported low or very low household food security.ResultsTwenty-one caregivers (68 %) reported four or more adverse childhood experiences, and this severity was significantly associated with reports of very low food security (Fisher’s exact P=0·021). Mothers reporting emotional and physical abuse were more likely to report very low food security (Fisher’s exact P=0·032). Qualitatively, participants described the impact of childhood adverse experiences with emotional and physical abuse/neglect, and household substance abuse, on their emotional health, school performance and ability to maintain employment. In turn, these experiences negatively affected their ability to protect their children from food insecurity.ConclusionsThe associations between mothers’ adverse experiences in childhood and reports of current household food security should inspire researchers, advocates and policy makers to comprehensively address family hardship through greater attention to the emotional health of caregivers. Programmes meant to address nutritional deprivation and financial hardship should include trauma-informed approaches that integrate behavioural interventions.

Trauma-Sensitive and Responsive Coaching

2022 ◽  
pp. 144-165
Author(s):  
Mary A. Hansen ◽  
Brooke Turner ◽  
Armani Davis
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Youth Athletes ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Previous Trauma ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Responsive Coaching ◽  
Sports And Physical Activity ◽  
The Impact

This chapter discusses the prevalence and impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on today's youth. Information related to the impact of previous trauma and sports-related trauma on youth athletes is discussed. The benefits of sports and physical activity in combatting the effects of trauma are presented. Information about trauma-informed models, pedagogies, and coaching practices are presented in order to highlight the importance of awareness and implementation of trauma-sensitive coaching pedagogies to help youth athletes including those who have been impacted by trauma or ACEs thrive.

Addressing cumulative harm: responding to chronic child maltreatment in the context of an intensive family support service

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Collier ◽  
India Bryce
Keyword(s):  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Adverse childhood experiences that are consistently experienced over a sustained period of time throughout childhood result in an accumulation of childhood adversity, which is often referred to in the literature as cumulative harm. This paper aims to closely examine statutory child protection practice, which favours an episodic and incident-focused approach to assessing risk and harm, failing to account for the evaluation of the accumulation of adversity and harm, commonly experienced by children exposed to maltreatment. The paper defines an existing gap in practice frameworks to adequately identify and respond to the accumulation of adversity. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on practice experiences in Queensland Australia, the paper examines service delivery responses to cumulative harm in the context of the Intensive Family Support model of service delivery. Findings Within current frameworks for child protection service delivery, there is no method of assessing the diverse and cumulative effects of ongoing chronic child maltreatment and adversity, despite research confirming that cumulative harm very often co-occurs with other child protection concerns. To effectively and collaboratively intervene in matters of chronic and cumulative abuse and neglect, practitioners and stakeholders must be guided by frameworks and assessments that accurately recognise and acknowledge the impact of ongoing exposure to adverse experiences and maltreatment. Research limitations/implications The need for a valid and reliable assessment method that draws together all elements contributing to the chronic maltreatment experience for a child and family: multiplicity, diversity and severity. Social implications Practice solutions tailored to each child’s specific cumulative experiences of adversity and maltreatment will promote better social, emotional and health outcomes across the lifespan. Originality/value This paper highlights a significant gap in assessment and practice frameworks and advances the impetus for cumulative harm to be proactively integrated into social care and service delivery.

Adverse childhood experiences and trauma informed care: treating the whole patient with a more complete osteopathic approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Brian Marcoux
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
System Level ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Trauma Informed Care ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In 1998, a seminal study identified a strong connection between participants’ exposures to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the development of risk factors for serious health conditions later in life. More than two decades later, leaders in both policy and health care professions now appreciate the impact of social determinants of health, including the enormous societal costs incurred by deleterious experiences, and recognize that treating illness begins with prevention in early childhood. The trauma informed care (TIC) model offers a treatment approach that lends consideration to the traumatic experiences that impact a given patient and allows for more complete treatment by their physician. Delivering care under the TIC model encourages trauma identification, early intervention, system level awareness and policy change, and avoiding retraumatization in the therapeutic setting. Various programs across the country seek to employ these methods at the community, state, and federal level. Several programs aimed at introducing medical students to these principles have contributed to an incorporation of TIC within the physician pipeline. In this Commentary, the author proposes an expansion of the Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine with a fifth principle—considering the implications of a patient’s past formative experiences, their present life circumstances, and their future prospects—as a vehicle for instilling TIC principles ubiquitously throughout osteopathic medical training to develop physicians who treat the whole person more completely and are better equipped to manage this public health crisis.

scholarly journals Meeting students where they are: Trauma-informed approaches in rural Schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-71
Author(s):  
Maria Frankland
Keyword(s):  
Rural Schools ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Urban Problems ◽  
School Issues

Twenty-five percent of U.S. schoolchildren attend a rural school. Yet, rural school issues are typically subsumed by debates focused on urban problems and the misguided notion of ample resources available for their remediation. These assumptions belie the reality of the spatial mismatch that exists for rural schools, especially around mental health supports. Adverse childhood experiences and trauma disproportionately affect rural schoolchildren, putting them at greater risk of academic underachievement and other negative throughout the lifespan. Trauma-informed approaches in rural schools may mitigate the effects of childhood adversity and help close achievement gaps for rural students. Rural schools and students have needs and challenges distinct from those of urban and suburban schools, but only 2% of peer-reviewed publications address trauma-informed approaches or social-emotional learning in rural schools. More research is needed to help our 13 million rural schoolchildren develop the resilience necessary to overcome adversity and achieve healthy outcomes.

scholarly journals A Review of Adverse Childhood Experiences as Factors Influential to Biopsychosocial Development for Young Males of Color

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-202
Author(s):  
Shaywanna Harris ◽  
Christopher T. Belser ◽  
Naomi J. Wheeler ◽  
Andrea Dennison
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Supreme Court Decision ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Young Males ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Latino Male ◽  
American Children ◽  
The Impact

Despite the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision ending school segregation in 1954, African American children and other children of color still experience severe and adverse challenges while receiving an education. Specifically, Black and Latino male students are at higher risk of being placed in special education classes, receiving lower grades, and being suspended or expelled from school. Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and the negative outcomes associated with experiencing them, are not specific to one racial or ethnic group, the impact of childhood adversity exacerbates the challenges experienced by male students of color at a biological, psychological, and sociological level. This article reviews the literature on how ACEs impact the biopsychosocial development and educational outcomes of young males of color (YMOC). A strengths-based perspective, underscoring resilience among YMOC, will be highlighted in presenting strategies to promote culturally responsive intervention with YMOC, focused professional development, and advocacy in the school counseling profession.

Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Language Skills and Promising School Interventions

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-322
Author(s):  
Aviva Segal ◽  
Delphine Collin-Vézina
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Development Of Language ◽  
The Impact

The influence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the developing child across several domains of functioning has much theoretical and empirical support. Yet, surprisingly, the impact of ACEs on the development of language skills specifically remains somewhat understudied. The present report provides a brief review of research on ACEs and associated impacts on brain functioning and on language skills development specifically. Trauma-informed practices are discussed, with a specific focus on school-based trauma-informed programs. Next steps to explore in future research are then provided.

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