Topic > Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Late Adulthood

In recent years, the range of human development research has expanded from focusing primarily on childhood development to including adult development. This new area of ​​research has opened up a multitude of questions regarding the physiological, behavioral and psychological changes that develop in this stage of life. Curiosities that researchers are inspired to explore include the impact of trauma encountered at a young age on adults as they enter late adulthood. Children's early experiences lay the foundation for building their health and life status. For these young people to live successfully later in life, it is important that they build a safe and trusting relationship with their caregivers, experience emotional support, receive adequate nutrition and housing, and have a safe environment for development and growth. growth. This ideal childhood experience does not appear to be the case for many young people who have experienced harmful and unforgettable events such as trauma, neglect, or abuse. Researchers have conducted several studies to understand the impact this has on children as they age and progress into adolescence. This is considered to be a topic of immense focus when it comes to the younger population. However, researchers are further interested in whether these unpleasant incidents have a long-lasting psychological impact on these individuals as they age and enter old age. Research has shown that several people in the elderly population experience thoughts of suicide, depression and other psychiatric disorders. With these factors in mind, researchers hope to analyze whether such trauma could potentially cause psychiatric disorders. To understand the effects of such experiences, researchers have conducted studies that incorporate both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The article “Adverse Childhood Experiences and Geriatric Depression: Findings from the BRFSS 2010” effectively contributes to the further understanding of this topic. The study explores whether adverse events in childhood impact the specific diagnosis of geriatric depression. Geriatric depression is a mental disorder that leads to decreased motivation and reduces quality of life. It can be assumed that symptoms of depression are part of the normal aging process, although they are classified as a negative aging process. Before starting the study, researchers had hypothesized that children who had suffered emotional, physical, or sexual abuse were more likely to experience depression. They also predicted that multiple and repeated exposures to such traumatic experiences would have a greater impact on depression. To test their hypothesis, the authors conducted a study that used a cross-sectional design that analyzed data collected by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The participants involved include 8,051 individuals over the age of 60 and were randomly selected from the four states of Nevada, Vermont, Hawaii and Wisconsin in the United States. The study involved several types of surveys conducted via telephone. Within these investigations, informants were questioned about childhood abuse, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and also screened for depression. Based on participants' performance on the depression screening questionnaire, they were divided into two groups, depressed and non-depressed. The data within the two groups werecompared in the grouped age ranges 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and 80+. Comparing the results obtained from different age groups, it emerged that the number of individuals diagnosed with depression decreased with increasing age. However, after analyzing the data collected, researchers found a positive correlation between geriatric depression and terrifying childhood experiences in general. They were also able to identify a higher prevalence of geriatric depression in individuals who had experienced physical and sexual abuse, and also in those who experienced more of these recurring events. Similar to this, another study conducted by Rapsey, Scott, and Patterson assists with understanding the lasting effect such events have on the elderly population. This article attempts to analyze the association between mental disorders and terrifying experiences in childhood that impact the older generation. The disorders examined include depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The specific events observed mainly concern mistreatment, neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse and family violence. To further investigate this, researchers conducted a study using a longitudinal design involving 2,220 women. This sample size included those who reported experiencing childhood abuse and those who reported not experiencing abuse. The researchers created this study group by selectively choosing those who reported having had an adverse childhood experience and randomly selecting those who had not. The study was conducted through an interview with participants at the beginning of the study, six years later and 25 years later. Based on the findings accumulated over the course of the study, the researchers found that there was a much lower percentage of individuals who experienced anxiety, PTSD, and depression as they aged, regardless of their childhood experience. However, by comparing and analyzing the data retrieved from both groups with different pasts, it was found that a greater percentage of the participants who had a traumatic childhood experience encountered one or more of the internalizing disorders tested. With respect to the different types of trauma participants experienced, those who experienced sexual abuse or polyvictimization were found to be more likely to have a higher prevalence of one of the disorders. Overall, it is evident that the longitudinal study conducted explicitly shows how such terrifying events have a lasting effect that continues to impact individuals as they age. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now .Get a custom essay Overall, when comparing the two articles, it is evident that both studies reviewed have similar findings based on the research topic analyzed. Both articles show how unpleasant experiences experienced at a young age impact an individual's health as they age and enter adulthood. From the first study, which had a cross-sectional design, the researchers were able to find that a large percentage of the population, regardless of age, suffered from depression due to their past histories. This study not only clarified the correlation between the two factors, but also helped us understand that depression, in particular, is one of the major psychological disorders one may encounter, or is at high risk of experiencing. Furthermore, the results found by researchers in the second study also support the association found in the first study. Unlike the first.