By Kenny Goldberg
Exposure to trauma and chronic adversity in early childhood can have serious effects on health, behavioral and social outcomes. That’s according to a new report from the non-profit Center for Youth Wellness.
The report is based on surveys of more than 27,000 adults by the California Department of Public Health.
The report reveals nearly two out of three Californians have had at least one adverse childhood experience. These include physical and sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and household dysfunctions like divorce and substance abuse.
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, founder and CEO of Center for Youth Wellness, said childhood trauma can extract a heavy toll.
“The more adverse childhood experiences a person has, the worse their health outcomes tend to be,” she explained. “And in fact, for someone with six or more adverse childhood experiences, the difference in their life expectancy is 20 years.”
Burke Harris said the science is clear: chronic adversity in early childhood dramatically affects health across a lifetime.
But she believes the long-term effects of trauma can be mitigated, if a child has access to a caring adult.