Childhood trauma test1/30/2024 ![]() “Therefore, those genes will express themselves differently based on what we experience.” How ACE Scores Predict Future Relationships “We are born with biological predeterminants, but our lives impact our genomes as we grow,” explains Dr. Today, groundbreaking research in the field of epigenetics is revealing how childhood trauma can trigger genetic activity that increases the likelihood of disease. In addition, researchers found that even when individuals with high ACE scores did not have poor health behaviors (such as drinking and smoking), their risk for disease was still higher. 12 times as likely to have attempted suicide.įurthermore, the life expectancy of an individual with an ACE score of 6 or more goes down by as much as 20 years.Nearly five times as likely to experience depression.Four times as likely to suffer from emphysema or chronic bronchitis.Six times as likely to have had sex before the age of 15.Twice as likely to have been diagnosed with cancer or heart disease.For example, compared to someone with a score of zero, a person with an ACE score of 4 or higher was People with higher ACES scores were at greater risk for a wide variety of diseases and negative life events, ranging from unintended pregnancy to diabetes to depression and anxiety. Researchers found illuminating information on how adverse childhood experiences affect physical and mental health. What the ACE Test Means for Physical and Mental Health Then they analyzed the links between participants’ experiences in the past and their current health.įirst, the study revealed that adverse childhood experiences were more common that had previously been thought: Almost 40 percent of the participants scored a 2 or higher on the ACE test, and 12.5 percent scored a 4 or more. They also used the ACE test to determine how much childhood trauma or teen trauma they had experienced. Over several years, researchers examined the physical and mental health of more than 17,000 adult participants. Subsequently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partnered with Kaiser Permanente to develop the ACE Study, led by Dr. He proposed a theory that research later validated: that weight gain can be a conscious or unconscious way of protecting oneself against physical or sexual abuse. In reviewing their histories, he noticed a link between weight gain and adverse childhood experiences. The ACE test resulted from a study done in California by Dr. “This includes not only mental health, but also physical health.” History of the ACE Study and ACE Test “The higher an individual’s score is, the more likely it is that they will have challenges that affect their long-term health and life satisfaction,” says Dr. Hence, a person who has experienced emotional neglect, has a family member in prison, and was sexually abused would have an ACE score of 3. A mother or stepmother who was a victim of domestic violenceĮach “yes” answer to a question scores a 1.Having a parent who was an alcoholic or used drugs.The ACE questionnaire measures 10 types of childhood or teen trauma that occurred before age 18, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction: ![]() Dragonette, PsyD, Newport Clinical Services Instructor How Does the ACE Questionnaire Work? The ACE questionnaire helps them understand that it’s not about what’s wrong with them, but rather what happened to them. Often people with a history of trauma-especially childhood trauma that happened before they could understand it-have the sense that there is something fundamentally wrong with them. This information gives individuals and their healthcare providers insight into how the repercussions of such trauma may be permeating their adult lives. Also referred to as the ACE quiz or the ACE test, the questionnaire includes 10 questions that identify areas of childhood trauma. It’s called the ACE questionnaire.ĪCE stands for Adverse Childhood Experience. And they’ve created a tool to measure the extent of those effects. But over decades of research, experts have come to understand that certain types of experiences during our formative years can have long-lasting effects on our health and well-being. Most of us know that firsthand, from our own personal history. What we experience in childhood impacts us for the rest of our lives. Home / Healthcare Resources / Industry Articles How the ACE Questionnaire Measures Childhood Trauma and Predicts Future Health April 22, 2022
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