Part I This video, intended for general audiences and policymakers, discusses the origins and findings of the largest-scale study to date of the incidence and effects of childhood trauma, known as the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. According to data collected from the over 17,000 Kaiser patients in this ongoing retrospective and prospective study, adverse childhood experiences, though well concealed, are unexpectedly common, have a profound negative effect on adult health and well-being a half century later, and are a prime determinant of adult health status in the United States.
Part II This video describes the ACE Study's implications for the healthcare professions: that all patients should be routinely screened for adverse childhood experiences; that a childhood trauma history may be very relevant to both serious illness and vague somatic complaints; and that appropriate approaches to treatment must include dealing with childhood trauma. Additional data suggest that evaluating patients for ACEs is also cost-effective.
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