The eight adverse childhood experiences (or ACEs), as they have come to be called, include exposure of a child before age 18 years to emotional abuse, physical abuse, contact sexual abuse, alcohol/substance abuse, mental illness, criminal behavior, parental separation/divorce, and domestic violence.
The current study found that the current ACEs do predict current stress among adolescents in a dose-related fashion. That is, the more one is exposed to, the greater likelihood of adult-adversity.
Adolescent stress is thought to be a crucial bridge between ACEs and longer-term health problems and illness. The authors found that such stress is also a likely predictor of long-term negative life events.
This is one of many ACEs studies in the body of literature but sheds a more contemporary light on where the research currently stands. To read more, click here.