Treating Adolescent Trauma Exposure

Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences

Research has repeatedly identified the importance of early life experiences to people’s health throughout their life. Individuals who have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) during childhood or adolescence tend to have more physical and mental health problems as adults than do those who do not experience childhood trauma.

Adverse childhood experiences are stressful or traumatic; they include abuse, neglect and a range of family system dysfunctions such as witnessing domestic violence or growing up with substance abuse, mental illness, parental discord, or crime in the home. ACEs are strongly related to the development and prevalence of a wide range of health problems, including substance use disorder.

The original 1995 ACE study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente. It revealed the prevalence of ACEs. For example, 28 percent of Kaiser participants reported physical abuse and 21 percent reported sexual abuse. Substance misuse and mental illness of a parent and divorce or separation were also common events.

Unprocessed trauma can make it harder to relate to others, may perpetuate negative self-perception, and can result in attempts to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. Effectively treating trauma is crucial to clearing the path for the treatment of other mental health conditions and substance use disorders to establish a foothold in recovery.