Our childhood experiences can affect our health now and in the future. Many people have difficult times growing up. We want to know if you had any of the problems listed, as this can tell us about your health today and what might happen later. Many people who struggle with addiction carry the weight of early life experiences that shaped their emotional and physical health.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire is a simple but powerful tool that helps identify these patterns by asking about common forms of childhood trauma. The ACE score counts the tough things you went through as a kid, like abuse or neglect. The rougher your childhood, the higher your ACE score will likely be.
ACEs are common, and your ACE score doesn’t predict your future. It just gives you an idea of one kind of risk. It doesn’t consider other things that affect your health, like what you eat, your genes, or if you smoke or drink a lot. Things like having a loving grandparent, a supportive teacher, or a good friend can make you stronger and help protect you from the bad effects of tough times. Remember that ACE scores don’t count the good things that happened in your childhood.
To learn more, you can check the CDC’s ACE Study website. It lists studies that show how difficult childhood experiences are linked to different health issues in adults, like headaches, feeling down, and heart problems.
Experts say that even people with high ACE scores can do well in life. Being able to bounce back (resilience) grows over time, and having close relationships is really important. New studies also suggest that special types of therapy for adults, like art, yoga, or focusing on the present, can be helpful.
The ACE test asks about 10 things that might have happened when you were a kid. You get a point if you answer “yes” to a question. Your score can be from 0 to 10. A higher score means a greater chance of having health and social problems later in life.
What Your Score Means Simply:
- 0: You didn’t have many difficult childhood experiences, so your risk is likely low.
- 1-3: You had some difficult experiences, and your risk is a little higher than someone with a score of 0.
- 4 or more: You had many difficult experiences, and your risk for health and other problems is much higher.
- 6 or more: You had very difficult experiences, and your risk for serious and complicated health problems is the highest.
What Your Score Tells Us About Health:
Studies show that a higher ACE score is linked to more health problems. For example:
- A score of 4 or more makes heart disease and cancer more likely.
- A score of 5 or more makes alcoholism much more likely.
- A score of 6 or more might mean you don’t live as long.
Important Things to Remember:
- It’s not the whole picture: This test only looks at negative childhood experiences. Positive experiences can push your health in the right direction.
- You can still be strong: Even if you have a high ACE score, getting support and learning to cope can help you stay healthy.