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Resilience
Documentary
Childhood trauma spurs far-reaching
mental and health consequences.
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26
December 6 • 2018
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hat is the greatest predictor
of health issues such as
obesity, smoking, heart
disease, depression, alcoholism and
other addictions? While genetics and
family history may seem the most
obvious factors, the answer may come
as a surprise: childhood trauma.
The devastating effect of what
researchers call Adverse Childhood
Experiences (ACEs) was the subject of
a recent program featuring the award-
winning documentary Resilience.
The film chronicles the far-reaching
consequences of early trauma and
featured programs across the country
helping these individuals overcome
their challenges.
More than 200 people, including
parents, teens, educators and mental
health professionals, attended the
program held at Friendship Circle of
Michigan in West Bloomfield. The
film was followed by small facilitator-
led group discussions about ways to
build resilience and make a positive
impact on local young people.
The film is based on an extensive
research study spearheaded by Drs.
Robert Anda and Vincent Felitti.
Although the study was conducted in
1998, its findings have gained greater
prominence in recent years.
The documentary discusses how
Adverse Childhood Experiences
contribute to toxic stress, which can
trigger hormones that have long-
lasting effects on children’s brains and
bodies. This physiological response
puts these children and teens at
greater risk for disease, homelessness,
prison time and even early death.
According to the research, the life
spans of people who suffered multiple
ACEs were 20 years shorter than the
average for the general population.
Before the film was shown,
participants were asked to fill out
the standard ACE questionnaire,
answering yes or no to 10 situations
considered Adverse Childhood
Experiences: emotional, physical and
sexual abuse; emotional and physical
neglect; parents divorced or separated;
mother treated violently; substance
abuse in household; family member
with mental illness; and incarcerated
household member.
Each yes answer counts as one
point. The higher the score, the
greater the chance the respondent
has or will have serious physical and
mental health issues as a result of their
early trauma. The research shows the
number of adverse experiences, rather
than the experiences themselves,
determine the extent and severity of
the negative outcomes.
According to the film, those with
three ACEs were twice as likely to
suffer from these issues as someone
in the general population. Individuals
with four ACEs were 32 times likelier
to have problems in school and had a
three times greater risk of developing
heart disease as adults. Obesity and
smoking also had a direct correlation
to ACE scores. The documentary says
the American Pediatric Association
calls ACE “the biggest unaddressed
health crisis” in the country today.
LEARNING RESILENCE
Researchers featured in the film
found resilience is the key to
overcoming childhood trauma, and
children need stable, caring adults
in order to become resilient. One
recommendation was that the ACE
questionnaire be used as a universal
screening tool in doctors’ offices and
schools.
Although only about half of the
program attendees chose to fill out the
questionnaire, their scores were higher
than the general population, with 14
percent reporting five or more ACEs.
“The body remembers (trauma),”