The impacts of childhood trauma can follow people into adulthood causing what the CDC has determined is a 14 trillion dollar impact. Kira/RooM RF/Getty Images
By Sujata Srinivasan, Photo: Kira/RooM RF/Getty Images, Connecticut Public, December 12, 2023
The U.S. economy could be $14 trillion larger if adult health conditions caused by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are prevented, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed more than 820,000 people to find out the direct and indirect economic impact of ACEs — childhood abuse or neglect, witnessing violence, seeing family members with substance use disorder, mental health struggles, having a parent incarcerated.
“We do see a lot of ACEs occurring,” said Melissa Santos, chief of pediatric psychology, Connecticut Children’s, who’s not associated with the study. “And we know that that impact is going to occur in our kids, not just in terms of their mental health, but also in terms of their physical health as well.”
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