The ACE Study

2:35

Companion Slides

Adverse Childhood Experiences — the landmark study linking childhood adversity to adult health.

Key Concepts

  • Felitti & Anda (1998): 17,000+ participants in Kaiser Permanente study
  • 10 categories across abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction
  • 67% of respondents had at least one ACE
  • Dose-response relationship: more ACEs → worse adult health outcomes
  • ACEs are a public health framework, not a diagnostic tool

Part of

Module 1: Foundations

What trauma is, how it works in the brain, what the ACE study tells us, and why resilience matters.

Up next

Resilience and Hope

Resilience is not toughness — it's having enough protective factors to tip the balance.