Our well-being and health later in life are significantly influenced by the social situations in which we are raised. A recent study revealed that these experiences have a significant impact on our health risks as adults. The majority of Americans (67 percent) report experiencing at least one traumatic event as a child. Obesity and chronic pain are physical conditions that are affected, but post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and depression show the highest correlation with physical conditions.
Scientists from DRI and the University of Nevada, Reno led the study, published Oct. 6 in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. More than 16,000 Reno-area people volunteered for research as part of the Healthy Nevada Project, one of the most visible genomic studies in the United States powered by Renown Health. Participants answered questions about their social environments before the age of 18, including experiences with emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect and substance abuse in the home. The researchers combined this information with anonymous medical records to build on existing research on how childhood trauma affects health outcomes.
“The study provides insight into how social determinants of health may influence adult health disorders,” said Robert Read, MS, a researcher in the DRI Center for Genomic Medicine and one of the study’s lead authors. (Read also | How to deal with childhood trauma? Expert offers ideas)
Nearly two-thirds (66 percent) of the participants recalled at least one type of trauma, and nearly a quarter (24 percent) reported experiencing more than four. Women and people of African American and Latinx descent reported a higher prevalence of traumatic experiences than men and people of European descent, but people in low-income households They were the most impacted.
The researchers note that while the study has its roots in Nevada, which has high rates of adults with mental illness and poor access to care, it provides a window into deep-seated public health problems across the country.
“Combating the prevalence of childhood trauma is a complex problem,” said Karen Schlauch, Ph.D., a bioinformatics researcher at DRI and one of the study’s lead authors. “Personal experiences with neglect and abuse are more difficult to address, but many of the underlying issues can be addressed at the community level, such as food insecurity and poverty.”
Beyond improving our understanding of how early social environments influence our health, Schlauch says the next goal of the research is to understand how childhood trauma may be related to specific traits such as impulsivity, a prominent trait in play communities. from Nevada.
“To address the devastating impacts of early life adversity on local population health and disparities, we must focus on the pervasive behavioral and social mechanisms affecting Nevadans,” said Stephanie Koning, Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Reno, and co-author of the study. “Beyond how population needs drive our research, we are partnering with community organizations to promote evidence-based interventions at the individual, community and state levels.”
As the study team expands their analysis of the health impacts of adversity in early life, they are exploring how to use the Healthy Nevada Project database to inform community interventions. They have partnered with community institutional partners, including the Stacie Mathewson Behavioral Health and Addiction Institute and Northern Nevada HOPES, for research and advocacy focused on promoting healthy childhood social environments and well-being throughout an individual’s life. . (AND ME)
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