Childhood Adverse Experiences (CAEs) can have a big impact on how someone’s mental health develops later in life. These experiences can come from many different things, like biological changes in the body, how we think and feel, and our social environments. Research shows that about 61% of adults have faced at least one tough experience in childhood, and 16% have faced three or more (Felitti et al., 1998).
Biological Factors
CAEs can change how our brains work. When kids go through stress during important growing years, it can affect a part of the brain called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This can lead to problems with cortisol levels, which are linked to feelings of anxiety and depression. One study found that children who had experienced trauma had a 30% smaller hippocampus. The hippocampus is really important for our memory and how we manage our emotions (Teicher et al., 2016).
Psychological Factors
When it comes to how we think and feel, CAEs can create unhealthy ways of coping. They can lead to low self-esteem and make it easier to feel stressed. Because of this, people who have had tough childhoods are more likely to develop issues like PTSD, anxiety, and major depression. A review of different studies showed that those with CAEs are 2 to 5 times more likely to experience depression as adults (Schmidt et al., 2011).
Social Factors
On the social side of things, CAEs usually mean that kids grow up in unstable environments with troubled relationships. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and a lack of support from others. These social issues can make mental health problems worse. Studies indicate that children who face multiple adversities are 4 to 12 times more likely to develop serious mental health problems as adults (Breslau et al., 1995).
Childhood Adverse Experiences (CAEs) can have a big impact on how someone’s mental health develops later in life. These experiences can come from many different things, like biological changes in the body, how we think and feel, and our social environments. Research shows that about 61% of adults have faced at least one tough experience in childhood, and 16% have faced three or more (Felitti et al., 1998).
Biological Factors
CAEs can change how our brains work. When kids go through stress during important growing years, it can affect a part of the brain called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This can lead to problems with cortisol levels, which are linked to feelings of anxiety and depression. One study found that children who had experienced trauma had a 30% smaller hippocampus. The hippocampus is really important for our memory and how we manage our emotions (Teicher et al., 2016).
Psychological Factors
When it comes to how we think and feel, CAEs can create unhealthy ways of coping. They can lead to low self-esteem and make it easier to feel stressed. Because of this, people who have had tough childhoods are more likely to develop issues like PTSD, anxiety, and major depression. A review of different studies showed that those with CAEs are 2 to 5 times more likely to experience depression as adults (Schmidt et al., 2011).
Social Factors
On the social side of things, CAEs usually mean that kids grow up in unstable environments with troubled relationships. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and a lack of support from others. These social issues can make mental health problems worse. Studies indicate that children who face multiple adversities are 4 to 12 times more likely to develop serious mental health problems as adults (Breslau et al., 1995).