All of these changes closely parallel the features present in depression, suggesting traumatic experiences increase the risk of developing depression in adulthood. Īdverse experiences in early childhood can cause changes to the structural and functional components of the body, including increased sensitivity to stress, increased cortisol, glucocorticoid resistance, and decreased hippocampal volume. Traumatic experiences that occur during childhood can cause disruptions in adult psychological function and lead to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and dissociation. Link between childhood trauma and mental health Moreover, Su & Stone (2020) note that if traumatic experiences involve a toxic relationship with a caregiver or trusted adult, those dynamics can also be reenacted in the adult’s life, such as involvement with an abusive partner or becoming abusive themselves. Childhood trauma can also lead to interpersonal relationship problems including the creation of a “disorder of hope”, in which new relationships are either idealized or hated. Additionally, some adults are found to have high blood pressure and increased inflammation. Many adults who experienced childhood trauma also suffer from memory and learning deficits. While the effects of childhood trauma manifest differently in everyone, common symptoms include: difficulty controlling emotions, impulsiveness, an increased response to stress, relationship instability, development of mental illnesses, dissociation, avoidance, and heightened anger. Īs it can be difficult for an adult to disclose childhood trauma, the best indication of its existence is through the expression of conscious and unconscious symptoms. Additionally, traumatic experiences that are repetitive are more detrimental than a single episode as the rate of negative childhood experiences increases, so does the likelihood that the adult will experience symptoms. Traumatic experiences involving one’s caretaker pose the greatest risk to harming the child’s psychological state and development. The intensity and type of traumatic exposure in childhood affects how it will appear in adulthood. Further, if a child doesn’t receive the proper emotional support and comfort following a traumatic experience, it can disrupt normal brain development and cause issues with emotional regulation and response to stress in adulthood. Additionally, research done by The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2005/2014) found that the adjustment of the stress-response system, through the strengthening of neural connections involved in fear and anxiety, causes the child to become stressed at a lower threshold. Such reactions include the development of extreme reactivity to stimulation, heightened sense of vulnerability, and the addition of attachment & neediness behaviors. When a child's environment feels unsafe or threatened, there are various ways they will adaptively react in order to maintain a feeling of safety and protection. Therefore, if childhood trauma occurs and is not properly addressed, it can lead to cognitive impairment and psychological disorders in adulthood. Specifically, the overabundance of the stress hormone cortisol, will weaken bodily functions, including immune function, memory, learning, and emotional regulation.

While a normal amount of stress is crucial for the strengthening of important neural connections involved in emotional regulation and response to stress, extreme, frequent, or long-lasting stress, will cause the body to adapt by sending a myriad of chemical and hormonal stress signals throughout the brain, altering its functional components. A child’s environment directly influences gene expression and brain growth the stress that one’s environment imposes can help or hinder development. Īs discussed by Majer et al., (2010), children are particularly receptive to traumatic experiences due to the heightened plasticity of a developing brain, as well as their reliance on the environment for emotional and cognitive development. Further, traumatic events can occur as repeated, long-term experiences or as one single incident. Such experiences can include: emotional, psychological, physical and/or sexual abuse, natural disasters, war, injuries, or neglect. Trauma exposure is classified as any event that threatens or causes death, injury, or personal integrity. More than 70% of adults have experienced a traumatic event at some point in their lives.

Signs of childhood trauma in adulthood