Understanding the effects of adverse childhood experiences on older people
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Understanding the effects of adverse childhood experiences on older people

Bronwen Williams Mental health nurse and educator, Bronwen Williams Training, Education and Development, Malvern, Worcestershire, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To increase your awareness of the link between adverse childhood experiences and health risk factors

  • To enhance your understanding of how childhood trauma may manifest in older age

  • To acknowledge the importance of adopting a trauma-informed approach to the care of older people

There is increasing recognition that adverse childhood experiences are linked to suboptimal mental and physical health in later life. Despite this, there has been little research into the effects of adverse childhood experiences on older people. This article gives an overview of the long-term mental and physical effects of adverse childhood experiences and discusses how childhood trauma may manifest in older people. The author also discusses how nurses and unpaid family carers may themselves have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences and how this may affect their caring role. It is crucial that nurses adopt a trauma-informed approach to the care of older people to take account of possible adverse childhood experiences and prevent re-traumatisation.

Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2022.e1416

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@stray_hamster

Correspondence

bronwen.williams@yahoo.com

Conflict of interest

None declared

Williams B (2022) Understanding the effects of adverse childhood experiences on older people. Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2022.e1416

Published online: 07 December 2022

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