ACEs Research

When we think of Adverse Childhood Experiences, we often think of the fallout being chronic illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized symptoms of anxiety or depression. One additional, potential consequence of ACEs is the development of a personality disorder (PD), which are quite common as approximately 9% of adults in the United States, or about 30 million, experience them. Defined as “an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the...

How do childhood experiences shape our lives? And are there particular events or chronic issues that cause long-term harm? To answer those questions, a great deal of research has been poured into studying ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences, over the past 25 years. ACEs are defined as traumatic events that occur before the age of 18 including, but not limited to, physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and neglect. Following the landmark Kaiser-Permanente study of 1998, where it was found that...