Preventing Childhood Trauma May Lower Drug Addiction Risk: Study

NORTH FORK, NY — Preventing childhood trauma may have an impact on later reducing the Top 10 leading causes of death, including drug addiction, a new study said.

According to the study by the Center for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Vital Signs" report, the potential exists to improve American's health by preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs.

ACEs can include experiencing abuse, witnessing violence or substance misuse in the home, and having a parent in jail, the CDC report said. Exposure to ACEs can result in extreme or repetitive toxic stress responses that can cause both immediate and long-term physical and emotional harms, the report added.

At least five of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with ACEs — therefore, preventing ACEs could potentially reduce chronic diseases, risky health behaviors, and socioeconomic challenges later in life, the report said.

Toxic stress from ACEs can change brain development and affect how the body responds to
stress, the report said. ACEs are linked to substance misuse in adulthood, chronic health problems, and mental illness, the study said.

However, ACEs can be prevented, the CDC said. Preventing ACEs can help children and
adults thrive and potentially mean a lower risk for conditions such as depression, suicide, asthma, cancer, heart disease and diabetes in adulthood; reduce risky behaviors such as smoking and heavy drinking; improve education and job potential; and stop ACEs from being passed from one generation to the next.

The findings appear in CDC’s latest Vital Signs report, which examines the associations between ACEs and 14 negative outcomes. CDC analyzed data from 25 states that included ACE questions in the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2015 through 2017, the CDC said. State survey data were used to estimate long-term health and social outcomes in adults that contribute to leading causes of illness and death and reduced access to life opportunities.

"We now know that adverse childhood experiences have a significant impact on an individual’s future health,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. “Preventing traumatic experiences in childhood and initiating key interventions when they do occur will lessen long-term health consequences and benefit the physical and emotional well-being of individuals into adulthood.”

CDC scientists analyzed data from more than 144,000 adults.

Other key findings indicated that "women, American Indian/Alaskan natives, and African Americans/blacks were more likely to experience four or more ACEs," the CDC said.

Preventing ACEs could have reduced the number of adults who had heart disease by as much as 13 percent — up to 1.9 million avoided cases, using 2017 national estimates — and preventing ACEs could have reduced the number of adults who were overweight/obese by as much as 2 percent, or up to 2.5 million avoided cases of overweight/obesity, using 2017 national estimates, the study said. Also, preventing ACEs could have reduced the number of adults with depression by as much as 44 percent, or up to 21 million avoided cases of depression, the estimates indicated.

Efforts by the CDC moving forward include educating states and communities about effective social and economic supports that address financial hardship and other conditions that put families at risk for ACEs; encouraging employers to adopt and support family-friendly policies such as paid family leave and flexible work schedules; increasing access to programs that enhance parents’ and youths’ skills to handle stress, resolve conflicts, and reduce violence; improving school environments to lessen the impact of ACEs and prevent further trauma; and educating healthcare providers to recognize current risk in children and ACEs history in adults, and to refer patients to effective family services and support.

Patch asked Long Island prevention advocates to weigh in about the possible link to childhood trauma and substance abuse.

Longtime news anchor Drew Scott, who lost his beloved granddaughter Hallie Rae Ulrich to an overdose in 2017 and later co-chaired the Southampton Opioid Addiction Task Force, weighed in: “My twin granddaughter who died from an overdose was the product of divorce and lost her father. That’s trauma, but her twin, though devastated, dealt with it and carried on without getting involved in addiction," he said. "Trauma then, is just another risk factor.”

Jeffrey Reynolds, president and chief executive officer of the Family and Children's Association in Mineola, said childhood trauma and its accompanying mental health consequences have always figured prominently in substance use, but are often seen and treated as separate issues. "We have better tools now to assess trauma and there’s more integration into treatment and recovery programs," he said.

"There's still a long way to go"

That said, he added, "There’s still a long way to go. Almost every treatment center will call themselves 'trauma informed' but only some are using evidence-based interventions and these are not issues that can be fully addressed during a two week stay. That’s why we have infused a variety of trauma-focused at our THRIVE recovery centers in Hauppauge and Westbury. Childhood abuse and neglect, the death of a parent, sexual abuse or the vicarious trauma that goes along with living in communities impacted by poverty, chronic unemployment and violence can last a lifetime; we need to make sure that both treatment and self care lasts longer the two weeks."

Kym Laube, executive director of Human Growth and Understanding Services, or HUGS, an organization focused on providing kids with healthy alternatives in Westhampton Beach, also discussed ways to help navigate kids through tumultuous experiences.

"Community Coalitions are essential keys to delaying first use, strengthening families, and creating a healthier environment for all," she said. "Unfortunately, most will not get involved as that takes a long-term strategic process and few are willing to roll their sleeves up and get involved and invest in prevention. Just like individuals, communities benefit from physical, emotional and spiritual health. Getting youth involved in positive programming is paramount."