Experiencing Trauma at a Young Age Makes the Body and Brain Weaker

Children who underwent trauma from abuse or violence early in life show suffer more health ailments in old age than children who have never experienced adversity.

Children who experienced stressful situations in the form of physical violence or abuse, severe illness, family financial stress, or being separated from parents may have both physical and cognitive impairments in old age.

It is known that a difficult childhood can lead to a host of health issues as a young or midlife adult, but now researchers at UC San Franciso have linked adverse experiences early in life to lifelong health consequences ().

Child Abuse: Memory is What Haunts Victims
A recent study has found that the memory of childhood abuse is what haunts victims. People who did not remember the event or interpret it differently had better mental health.

‘Childhood trauma increase the likelihood of difficulty in walking, carrying out daily activities, and memory problems as we age. #Aging #ChildhoodTrauma #MemoryLoss’

They found that those who experienced violence in childhood were 40% more likely to have mobility impairment and 80% more likely to have difficulty with daily activities. Those who came from unhappy families were 40% more likely to have at last mild cognitive impairment. These findings appeared in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Childhood Trauma: Origin for a Lifetime of Ailments

Almost 60 percent of adults in the U.S. have experienced one or more types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that can undermine a child’s sense of safety or stability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This is associated with chronic physical and mental health issues, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, and depression. But there’s little research documenting the health implications of ACEs across the full lifespan, even though older adults bear the greatest burden of most health conditions ().

In 2021, California became the first state to mandate commercial insurance coverage for screening for early stressful or traumatic experiences in both children and adults. Eight other states are considering or implementing similar legislation.

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This type of screening, however, remains controversial due to an unclear impact on long-term health and a possible burden on the health care system.

Drawing upon data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, a national cohort of older U.S. adults, the new study examined nearly 3,400 participants, slightly more than half female, who were 50 to 97 years old and lived in community settings. Participants were asked about ACEs and underwent tests of balance and walking, as well as cognition and memory. Their difficulty with performing the activities of daily living was also assessed.

Neural Link Between Early Life Trauma and Binge-Eating Disorder
Research in mice shows that early childhood trauma may change a brain circuit that normally sends signals to stop eating.

Close to half – 44% – reported a history of at least one ACE between age 6 and 16. These included experiencing violence (14%), witnessing violence (16%), financial stress (13%), separation from a parent (16%), and poor health (6%) in childhood. One in five reported more than one adverse childhood experience.

This raises implications for geriatric care: early recognition of childhood trauma may be useful in identifying adults who might benefit from screening or prevention strategies for aging-associated functional decline.

Awareness Key To Successful Campaign Against Child Abuse, Say Experts
Working with children who have experienced abuse involves building a secure and safe space and foremost a trusting relationship with them.

References:

The Health Impact of Childhood Trauma: An Interdisciplinary Review, 1997-2003 - (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01460860590950890?journalCode=icpn20)
The impact of childhood trauma on psychosocial functioning and physical health in a non-clinical community sample of young adults - (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0004867419881206)

Source-Eurekalert