Taking A Childhood Trauma Test To Start Healing From Adverse Childhood Experiences
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Childhood trauma can follow people over the course of their lives, potentially causing mental health concerns that may develop as they age. A childhood trauma test can be instrumental in recognizing instances of past trauma. Processing negative experiences in a controlled way may promote long-term emotional healing and improved mental health over time.
What is a childhood trauma test?
The childhood trauma test, also known as the childhood trauma questionnaire and the ACE quiz, is a 10-question yes-or-no quiz measuring adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that commonly result in high stress or lasting trauma. These include instances of abuse, household dysfunction, and neglect.
Manifestations of abuse, household dysfunction, and neglect
The ACEs quiz tests for the following:
- Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse in childhood
- Physical or emotional neglect in childhood
- Parental separation, death, or divorce during childhood
- Growing up with a family member with a mental illness
- Growing up with a family member with a substance misuse (previously called “substance abuse”) disorder
- Growing up with an incarcerated family member
- Witnessing a parent or guardian being abused
The higher the score on the adverse childhood experiences test, the higher the risk of experiencing mental health challenges later in life as a result of adverse childhood experiences. By completing a childhood trauma test, individuals can gain insight into how their past experiences may have influenced their emotional resilience, coping mechanisms, and current mental and physical health concerns.
Scientific validity of the childhood trauma quiz
While a childhood trauma quiz is intended to measure adverse childhood experiences, the quiz is intended to be administered to adolescents and adults. Multiple studies, including a 2024 meta-analysis, have concluded that the short-form version of the childhood trauma quiz (CTQ-SF) has shown adequate test-retest reliability. However, one critique of the quiz is that it does not tally positive early life experiences that might instill strong resilience and protect a person from traumatic events and subsequent negative health outcomes.
Understanding childhood trauma and stress in mental health
According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, a traumatic event is a “frightening, dangerous, or violent event that poses a threat to a child’s life or bodily integrity.” These experiences can lead to long-term health concerns and mental disorders like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Childhood abuse, sexual assault, neglect, and other traumas can keep a child’s sympathetic nervous system chronically activated, causing physical and emotional symptoms that can last long after the event. Chronic stress during childhood induces adaptations in a child’s brain and body that can have lasting consequences on emotional regulation and stress responses. Additionally, in an attempt to cope with these post-trauma symptoms, an individual may develop damaging coping mechanisms that may contribute to deteriorating health over time.
How a childhood trauma test can identify adverse childhood stress
Childhood trauma tests like the ACE quiz assess an individual’s exposure to traumatic events. Higher scores on the ACE quiz have been linked to physical and mental health conditions ranging from a higher-than-average rate of headaches to heart disease, drug misuse, diabetes, and depression. By highlighting childhood patterns of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, individuals may gain a deeper understanding of how past events may have affected their present adolescent or adult life.
The link between adverse childhood experiences and mental health
Early childhood experiences have a deep connection with emotional development and psychological resilience. The adverse childhood experiences study may best exemplify this link.
The adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study
The adverse childhood experiences study is one of the most extensive studies of childhood abuse and neglect and well-being and later-life health. Started in 1994, the multiyear collaboration between Kaiser Permanente and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included more than 17,000 participants.
Perhaps the biggest finding of the ACE study is that adverse childhood experiences are common across all populations, with nearly two-thirds of the participants reporting at least one ACE and more than 20% reporting three or more ACEs. The ACE Pyramid was developed as a conceptual framework for the ACE study. It uncovers how adverse childhood experiences are strongly related to the development of risk factors for disease and decreased well-being over the course of a lifetime. The more adverse childhood experiences a person has, the higher the risk of negative outcomes later in life.
Effects of adverse childhood experiences on mental health
The long-term mental health consequences of unresolved trauma increase the risk of numerous physical and mental concerns, particularly trauma and stress-related disorders. Adverse childhood experiences occur during a period of life when the brain and body are developing. For this reason, they may also negatively affect a person’s immune system, attention span, decision-making abilities, and learning capabilities.
These consequences may affect an individual’s life opportunities, including their education and career potential, as they age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it can also increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections and involvement in sex trafficking, as well as chronic diseases. Other potential adverse outcomes of unresolved trauma may include social determinants of health, such as unemployment and not having health insurance, which can further prolong the toxic stress first experienced in childhood.
Overcoming childhood trauma and stress for better mental health
While ACEs do not necessitate negative outcomes, they have been proven to be scientifically correlated. However, acknowledging these effects can allow individuals to take proactive steps to address their unresolved trauma and work toward more positive outcomes. Healing may be facilitated in part by:
- Practicing mindfulness, self-love, and self-compassion
- Building strong social support systems that include trusted individuals
- Learning stress-management techniques, like deep breathing or journaling, to process stress in real time
Over time, exercising these coping mechanisms may build resilience to stress.
Healing from childhood trauma and stress with support
In addition to the above stress-management tactics, professional therapy can help individuals address childhood stress, especially in processing traumatic past experiences. Some of the most common therapeutic approaches include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Trauma-focused psychodynamic therapy
- Eye-movement desensitization therapy (EMDR)
- Group therapy
- Internal family systems therapy
- Cognitive processing therapy
- Trauma-focused therapy
Whether administered in person or online, therapy can provide a safe, nonjudgmental space in which to process past traumas and make way for sustainable, long-term healing.
Online therapy for childhood trauma and stress
For individuals with PTSD or adjacent symptoms because of childhood trauma and stress, attending in-person therapy can be challenging because of its highly structured nature that requires commuting to a specific place at a specific time. In recent years, online therapy has become increasingly popular because of its flexibility in scheduling and communication. With online therapy, clients can schedule sessions at any time that works for them, potentially even playing with time zones to adjust for an early-morning or late-night preference.
Online therapy through platforms like BetterHelp allows individuals to communicate with a licensed professional from anywhere they have a secure and reliable internet connection, allowing them to move—or not move—as they please. For those who are hesitant to seek in-person therapy, online options provide a valuable alternative to begin the healing process and make specialized, trauma-focused care more readily available to those who may want it.
Several studies support the effectiveness of online therapy for individuals managing post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related symptoms. One UK study from 2023 concluded that online therapy was equally as effective in treating mild to moderate PTSD as face-to-face treatment. Another study published in 2022 found that online-administered psychodynamic therapy, which uses a holistic approach to explore the past and present, can create a similarly good therapeutic alliance between psychologist and client as in-person treatment.
Additional resources for managing childhood trauma
Some additional resources that can assist in managing childhood trauma include the following.
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Prevent Child Abuse America
- Child Mind Institute (available in 17 languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, and French)
Takeaway
How do I know if I have childhood trauma?
Speaking with a licensed mental health professional may help you understand whether you’ve experienced childhood trauma. You might also take an ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) questionnaire to determine your ACE score. Although these questionnaires are not an official diagnostic tool and cannot replace a professional diagnosis, a higher score generally indicates a higher likelihood of childhood trauma.
What is the most accurate childhood trauma test?
There isn’t one most accurate childhood trauma test, but the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) questionnaire is often used to evaluate the potential exposure to trauma you experienced as a developing child. Early trauma and adverse experiences can have lasting effects, but trauma recovery is possible, particularly with professional treatment.
What are the top five childhood traumas?
Some of the most commonly studied childhood traumas include sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse (which includes verbal abuse), physical neglect, and witnessing violence, such as community violence. These types of domestic violence can harm physical and emotional well-being and put children at increased risk of developing various mental health conditions.
There are other types of childhood trauma as well. For instance, when you were a child, was a household member depressed, mentally ill, or misusing substances? That could also constitute a form of trauma.
What are examples of unhealed childhood trauma?
Unresolved trauma can have a variety of effects, with each person experiencing this phenomenon differently. A few common symptoms of unaddressed trauma include hypervigilance, emotional numbness, low self-esteem, anger issues, sleep problems, and flashbacks to traumatic memories.
At what age is childhood trauma the most impactful?
Research suggests that trauma experienced during early childhood (ages zero to five) tends to have the most significant impact. However, trauma can be impactful at any stage of life.
Does childhood trauma ever go away?
While childhood trauma cannot be undone, it’s possible to heal from it. Learning effective coping strategies to manage intense emotions and aiming to consistently practice self-compassion can be helpful in your present life. Speaking with a therapist can provide you with valuable insights into your particular situation.
How does unhealed trauma affect you?
Unhealed trauma can affect each person differently, but it often manifests in the form of various mental health conditions. Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and depression can be common in those who have unhealed trauma.
What mental illness is caused by childhood trauma?
Many mental illnesses can stem from childhood trauma in conjunction with other factors. Depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and personality disorders may develop partially in response to traumatic experiences in childhood.
How can you fix childhood trauma?
It’s often necessary to work with a licensed mental health professional to heal from childhood trauma and overcome its effects. A professional can help you gain insight, adjust any unhelpful beliefs and thought patterns you may have, and learn effective coping skills.
What is the best therapy for childhood trauma?
Depending on a person’s age, different types of therapy may be appropriate. Play therapy is often used for young children. Adults who have experienced childhood trauma may benefit from trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and dialectical behavior therapy.
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