with disease states half a century later?"
Perhaps most profound thing about the ACE study – besides the significant fact that it demonstrated trauma does not discriminate and exists in every community in the country – is the strong correlation it demonstrated between childhood experiences and adult onset illnesses.
The ACE study found that survivors of childhood trauma are nearly 5000% (yes, you read all those zeros correctly) more likely to attempt suicide, have eating disorders, or become IV drug users. In this video, Dr. Vincent Felitti, the study's founder and co-conductor, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, details this remarkable and powerful connection.
With an ACE score of six – experiencing any six of the ten categories that we studied – that person was 4,600% more likely to become an IV drug user than a person who experienced none of those six categories. Now you read in the newspaper the latest cancer cure of the week – prostate cancer or breast cancer increases 30% and everyone goes nuts – I'm talking 4,600% increase. The same ACE score of six produces a likelihood of attempting suicide between 3,100% and 5,000% greater than the likelihood of suicide attempts in someone with none of those life experiences. So the power of this relationship is enormous.
At ICTG, we recognize that congregations are prime locations for not only putting that question at the forefront but also for providing primary prevention. Besides becoming a trauma-informed congregation by creating a culture marked by specific traits, trauma-informed congregations also can incorporate preventative measures into their common practices.
- Create policies for safety (see our previous post for links to tools for measuring safety among your congregation and creating policies) and keep them up-to-date
- Have a staff person dedicated to keeping well-educated on best responses to trauma and providing sound management of fellow staff members and lay leaders
- Keep all staff and lay leader volunteers well informed about current mandatory reporting laws and expectations
- Maintain an up-to-date and vetted referral base for local counselors, social workers, and spiritual directors
- Provide ongoing studies, prayer groups, and education classes that make use of best trauma response practices and understandings
- Dedicate specific annual worship service(s) for providing safe practices of prayer, confession, sacraments, or healing rituals for staff and members to acknowledge privately or corporately the existence of trauma among the community and seek restoration.
Share your stories in the comments below about how you see healing from ACEs happening in your congregation.