Childhood Trauma Lasting Effects on Mental and Physical Health.

How to help children recover and thrive after adversity 😊

Traumatic events don’t always leave physical scars, but they often leave emotional and psychological ones. Those imprints can affect a child’s mental and physical health for years to come — and even into adulthood.

Psychologist Kate Eshleman, PsyD, says that often, children can move on from traumatic events and thrive. But they may need a helping hand. “There are things parents and caregivers can do to support a child after trauma.”

▪️Understanding adverse childhood experiences

Child health experts often talk about adverse childhood experiences (sometimes called ACEs) — traumatic events in a child’s life.

Some ACEs are clearly terrifying — such as abuse, witnessing extreme violence or surviving a natural disaster.

“Parents should be mindful that even though an event might not seem traumatic to them, it may have been traumatic for their child,” she says.

▪️Lingering effects of stress: risk factors

Many children who experience an adverse event don’t have long-lasting effects. Still, some factors increase the chance of later problems, Dr. Eshleman says:

📍Age

Trauma can leave a stamp at any age. But children who experience an adverse event before the age of 8 may be particularly vulnerable.

📍Level of trauma

Not everyone experiences trauma the same way. Some kids can bounce back from major stressors while others are more affected by things that, on the surface, seem less severe. Overall, the more extreme the trauma, the higher the risk for lasting difficulty.

📍Duration of trauma

Chronic or repeated exposure to adverse events increases the risk of lasting health problems. Children who witness repeated violence in an unsafe neighborhood, or those who are abused, are more likely to have long-term problems than a child who experiences a one-time event, such as a car crash.

▪️Support and treatment for childhood trauma

If you’re caring for a child who has survived trauma, you might be feeling overwhelmed by all the possible outcomes. It’s worth repeating: Those outcomes aren’t inevitable. As a caregiver, you can take steps to reduce the risks for your child:

📍Hear what your child is saying

📍Watch for clues

📍Talk it out

📍Ask for help

📍Take care of yourself

Yours, Katie Bishop

Great Britain