The Adverse Childhood Experience Research

In the mid 1990’s a group of Kaiser physicians who were working with patients with severe chronic diseases noticed that they all had the same stories of terrible childhood events.  They started studying this and found a strong relationship with certain negative occurrences in childhood and pretty much every possible chronic disease.  It made sense that traumatized kids ended up with more mental health struggles like depression and anxiety, but when they also found a strong dose response relationship with obesity, diabetes, job losses, and even cancer, everyone started scratching their heads.

The Kaiser physicians developed a 10 question assessment related to trauma that individuals experienced prior to 18 years old, called the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Scale. They then launched a large scale study, involving tens of thousands of patients, to correlate health conditions with an individual’s ACE score. The results were shocking!

Researchers found that people with a high ACE score (>4) are 230% more likely to have cancer, 200% more likely to have cardiovascular disease, 10 times more likely to abuse injected drugs, and 40 times more likely to attempt suicide. Learn more about ACEs from the CDC by clicking here.

Screening and Assessments

Doctors in California are screening more than 500,000 patients for Adverse Childhood Experiences per year. More and more people are learning that they are at elevated risk for chronic disease. You can take the ACE assessment below, and receive a confidential individualized report. See below or click here.

But that creates a challenge. If you have a moderate or high ACE score, what should you do? Is a guarantee that you’re going to suffer from chronic conditions?

The Solution

Absolutely not! In fact, at Healing Grove we have a number of patients with an ACE score of 10 (they’ve had every single bad thing happen to them). And they are thriving in health, family, and life.  Just like the Kaiser researchers, we are interviewing those who have experienced severe trauma but are doing well, and we are observing the kinds of interventions that promote resilience in their stories.  Researchers are also working on Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) which can be shown to promote resilience.

ACE Expert, Dr. Angela Bymaster, M.D.

Healing Grove co-founder and primary care physician, Dr. Angela Bymaster, M.D. is an expert in Adverse Childhood Experiences. Her research has been featured in peer reviewed journals (here’s a free copy of that paper) and articles.

Looking at healthy high ACE score individuals, researchers have discovered that there are 7 Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE) that offset the harmful effects of ACEs.

PCEs include:

1. Able to talk with my family about my feelings.
2. Felt that my family stood by me during difficult times.
3. Enjoyed participating in community traditions.
4. Felt a sense of belonging in high school.
5. Felt supported by friends.
6. Had at least two non-parent adults who took a genuine interest in me.
7. Felt safe and protected by an adult in my home.

The role of healthcare in the process

The problem is that none of those 7 Positive Childhood Experiences (see diagram) are healthcare. When you get sick, where do you go? To see your doctor. However, most physicians aren’t trained or equipped in helping people heal from childhood trauma.

A new paradigm of care

Healing Grove is a unique clinic that was founded to address ACEs through a new paradigm of care. Healing Grove is encouraging PCEs through multiple facets in our community.  We encourage family conversations and support through Youth Group and family counseling.  We plan, fund, and implement annual large group community parties on Mother’s Day, Kids’ Day (a Mexican tradition), Dia de Unidad (the International Day of Peace), Halloween, and at many events around Christmastime, as well as smaller events like baby showers and specific traditional Mexican Catholic prayer events.  Youth Group and the Sports Program brings together kids, of all ages, promoting friendship, mentorship, discipline, spiritual growth, and fun.  We are really seeing growth in families and kids, in confidence, in connection, in character, and in resilience through these efforts.

The individual, family and community

The key to healing is to look at the individual, the family, AND the larger community. Western medicine is a great tool, but it often limits itself to only the individual. At Healing Grove, we see the whole person, and the whole context in which they live! Western medicine is an important tool in our tool belt, but it’s not the only one. By using Western medicine in conjunction with PCEs, we’re able to encourage holistic transformation and healing from childhood trauma.

Positive Childhood Experiences

Creating PCEs has a very positive impact on young people experiencing adverse childhood events!

This is what healing looks like

“Healing Grove is at the leading edge of evidence-based, upstream clinical practice!” Dr. Angela Bymaster, M.D.