What is Trauma?

Defining Trauma

Trauma is a pervasive challenge. It stems from exposure to an incident or series of events that are emotionally disturbing or life-threatening, leaving lasting adverse effects on a person's mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

Experiences that may be traumatic include:

Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
Childhood neglect
Living with a family member facing mental health or substance use disorders
Sudden, unexplained separation from a loved one
Poverty, racism, discrimination, or systemic oppression
Violence in the community, war, or terrorism

While trauma can happen at any stage of life, it has profoundly debilitating long-term impacts on a child's developing brain. Often known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), exposure to these events is common across all sectors of society.

U.S. adults with at least one ACE

U.S. adults with three or more ACEs

However, research has shown that the risk for ACEs is particularly elevated within certain populations such as people who identified as black, Hispanic, or multiracial; people with less than a high-school education; people with low-income or who were unemployed or unable to work; and people who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

Effects of Trauma on Health

The landmark ACE Study and the Philadelphia Urban ACE Study reveal that the more a child is exposed to stressful and potentially traumatic experiences, the greater his or her risk for chronic health conditions and health-risk behaviors. Traumatic events can have deleterious effects on health at any age.

What are the long-term effects of trauma on health?

The original ACE Study asked people to indicate the number of traumatic events they had experienced prior to age 18 and provided them with a corresponding “ACE score.” Compared to people with no ACEs, individuals with an ACE score of four or more were approximately:

2 times

as likely to smoke

2.5 times

more likely to have sexually-transmitted infections

4 times

more likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

7 times

more likely to consider themselves an alcoholic

10 times

as likely to have injected street drugs

12 times

as likely to have attempted suicide

(Source: Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults)

What is the relationship between trauma and health-risk behaviors?

People affected by trauma may develop coping mechanisms to help alleviate the emotional and/or physical pain they feel as a result of trauma. Sometimes, these strategies involve maladaptive behaviors — such as unhealthy eating, tobacco use, or drug and alcohol use. These coping mechanisms may provide some relief, but they can also simultaneously contribute to anxiety, social isolation, and chronic diseases.

What is the impact of trauma on relationships?

Regardless of the type of trauma a person has experienced, traumatic experiences impact relationships. This includes, but is not limited to, relationships between people, communities, and the delivery systems that support individuals’ health and social needs. When a person experiences trauma, he or she may feel unsafe, betrayed, and/or have difficulty trusting others. This can lead to heightened emotions, such as anger or aggression, or a tendency toward shame, numbing, and/or isolation. Within the context of health care, this can negatively impact the bond between a patient andNormally I can help with things like this, but I don't seem to have access to that content. You can try again or ask me for something else.

The Science of Trauma

Although the field of trauma-informed care is still coalescing, our understanding about how people’s brains and bodies respond to trauma — and the negative long-term effects of toxic stress on health — is well understood. Toxic stress is an emotional and/or physical response that occurs when a person experiences strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity without adequate support.

How does trauma affect neurobiology and the physical development of children?

In the first 1,000 days of life, children’s brains are in a critical period of development. Trauma can negatively impact areas in the brain responsible for cognitive functions, such as short-term memory and emotional regulation. This is due in part to the fact that the body regulates stress through the release of two criticalNormally I can help with things like this, but I don't seem to have access to that content. You can try again or ask me for something else.