By Kevin Sherin, American College of Preventive Medicine, May 7, 2020
There is a growing dialog about COVID-19 and its impacts on childhood adversity (ACEs), chronic stress, and mental health across the lifespan.
The fear and social isolation associated with COVID-19 commonly exacerbates existing chronic stresses. Reports are surfacing of increased mental health problems, anxiety, partner violence, depression, suicidality, child abuse, opioid use disorder, other substance abuse, drug overdose, and alcohol abuse. Children are forced to stay home from school or daycare and witness and experience this trauma in greater degrees. These all contribute to higher childhood adversity (ACE scores) which will add to chronic stress across the lifespan (toxic stress).
COVID-19 adds to the chronic stress from childhood adversity. Inner cities seem to be heavily impacted, e.g. New York City, Newark, Boston.
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