ACE: "What Happened to You" Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences or Trauma-Informed Care

Courtney Barry; Constance Gundacker

doi:10.1016/j.pop.2022.10.003

ACE: "What Happened to You" Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences or Trauma-Informed Care

Prim Care. 2023 Mar;50(1):71-82. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2022.10.003.

Authors

Courtney Barry¹, Constance Gundacker²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA. Electronic address: cobarry@mcw.edu.
² Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Corporate Center, Suite C730, 999 North 92nd Street, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.

PMID: 36822729
DOI: 10.1016/j.pop.2022.10.003

Abstract

Trauma is common within the United States. It is important for individuals to understand how trauma may affect their health and how trauma in childhood can have adverse effects on a child's development and health. To reduce retraumatization of patients, it is imperative to use trauma-informed approaches in a clinical encounter. Screening is an effective way to understand a patient's trauma history. When screening for trauma, it is important to take a family-centered approach and provide appropriate referrals if a patient screens positive for trauma. Primary care providers are essential players in addressing and preventing trauma.

Keywords: ACEs; Primary care; Trauma; Trauma-informed approaches; Trauma-informed care.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adverse Childhood Experiences*
Child
Humans