Introduction, Epidemiology, Measurement, and the Cycle of Trauma

Abstract

Everyone experiences adversities at some point during their life, so this is everyone’s problem. Loved ones do not live forever, people are traumatized by crimes perpetrated against them, parents can be too ill to provide a nurturing environment, and many other difficult things happen. However, some face much greater extreme adversities than others do. It can be particularly problematic if serious adversities occur during childhood. Traumatic experiences can have a significant impact on mental and physical health long after the event and all throughout the life course, which can vary widely between individuals who experienced similar traumatic events. This chapter addresses the epidemiology of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other trauma throughout the life course, measurement of trauma, healthy stress versus toxic stress, the financial and human cost, and the potential cycle of trauma that can occur in one’s own life and throughout generations due to environmental, genetic, and epigenetic risk. The purpose of this book is to raise awareness of evidence-based interventions for prevention, resilience, and healing in the face of adversity and to address the neurobiology of trauma with research evidence to support interventions to promote optimal brain function throughout the life span, which is critically important for everyone, especially survivors of trauma.