Childhood Toxic Stress

A condition that can occur when children are exposed to childhood adversity such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, parental mental illness or a substance use disorder without adequate adult support, and/or experience negative social factors such as housing instability, food insecurity, discrimination and community violence. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the toxic stress they can bring may have lasting, negative effects on health and well-being. This kind of prolonged activation of the stress response systems can disrupt the development of brain architecture and other organ systems, and increase the risk for stress-related disease and cognitive impairment, well into the adult years. When a toxic stress response occurs continually, or is triggered by multiple sources, it can have a cumulative toll on an individual's physical and mental health"”for a lifetime. Children growing up with toxic stress may also have difficulty forming healthy and stable relationships, may have unstable work histories as adults and struggle with finances, jobs and depression throughout life. The more adverse experiences in childhood, the greater the likelihood of developmental delays and later health problems including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and suicide. Researchers have found that early intervention, positive childhood experiences and buffering from caring adults can reduce and sometimes eliminate the impact of ACEs. Research also indicates that supportive, responsive relationships with caring adults as early in life as possible can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress response.