Study Suggests People Who Experienced Childhood Trauma May Age Faster - Yahoo News

However, although that research focused on many different factors, this new study zeroed in on “threat-related adversity, such as abuse and violence, and deprivation-related adversity, such as physical or emotional neglect or poverty.”.

The lead scientists say the results of this research emphasize the need to offer early intervention to known victims of abuse and violence because early aging as a result of trauma may be the connection between a higher likelihood of later illness.

Exposure to adversity in childhood is a powerful predictor of health outcomes later in life — not only mental health outcomes like depression and anxiety, but also physical health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

These are events that include “sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, community and school violence, medical trauma, motor vehicle accidents, acts of terrorism, war experiences, natural and human-made disasters, suicides, and other traumatic losses.”.

A Mighty Voice: Our contributor, Liam Xavier, shared his experience living with childhood trauma, saying, “I am healing

Other things to know: Shining a light on the prevalence of childhood trauma and its effects can help aid the healing process and raise awareness on how to help children recover

How to take action: Here are several resources that can help you offer support to a child who has gone through a traumatic event, which can help prevent or mitigate the impact of trauma across a lifetime: