Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Sep 15:16:10964.
doi: 10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10964.

Introducing ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Resilience to First-Year Medical Students

Edore Onigu-Otite  1 , Sindhu Idicula  2
Affiliations

Introducing ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Resilience to First-Year Medical Students

Edore Onigu-Otite et al. MedEdPORTAL. .

Abstract

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes and predictive of higher sociodemographic risk. Introducing ACEs into undergraduate medical education is key to prevention, early recognition, and intervention.

Methods: In a 1-hour lecture, held live and viewed online, we delivered a condensed introduction to ACEs to first-year medical students. Live-classroom participants completed pre-/postsession questionnaires self-assessing their knowledge of 10 content areas on a 5-point Likert scale. We analyzed quantitative data to determine mean scores and differences. We synthesized qualitative data obtained from feedback.

Results: One hundred twenty-four students, including 32 live-classroom attendees and 92 online viewers, participated in this activity. Self-assessment scores increased in all content areas measured, with a mean increase of 1.5 (p < .0001). The most significant increases occurred in identifying household dysfunction as ACEs (increase of 2.3), calculating an ACE score (increase of 2.2), differentiating between child abuse acts of commission and omission (increase of 1.9), describing resilience (increase of 1.7), and recognizing the link between ACEs and chronic medical conditions (increase of 1.4). Participants found the lecture informative, appreciating the use of the case illustrating how ACEs impact health and an interactive slide on the risks conferred by cumulative ACEs. Learners welcomed the positive message of resilience.

Discussion: Introducing ACEs in medical student education is feasible. Educating the next generation of health providers on ACEs while highlighting prevention and resilience and teaching trauma-informed care is crucial. This lecture can be readily incorporated into medical student curricula.

Keywords: ACEs; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Child Abuse; Child Maltreatment; Chronic Medical Conditions; Mental Health; Trauma-Informed Care; Virtual Learning.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure.
Figure.. Mean pre- and postsession scores and difference. Abbreviation: ACE, adverse childhood experience.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Adverse childhood experiences reported by adults—five states, 2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;59(49):1609–1613. - PubMed
    1. Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) Study. Am J Prev Med. 1998;14(4):245–258. 10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chapman DP, Whitfield CL, Felitti VJ, Dube SR, Edwards VJ, Anda RF. Adverse childhood experiences and the risk of depressive disorders in adulthood. J Affect Disord. 2004;82(2):217–225. 10.1016/j.jad.2003.12.013 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dube SR, Anda RF, Felitti VJ, Chapman DP, Williamson DF, Giles WH. Childhood abuse, household dysfunction, and the risk of attempted suicide throughout the life span: findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. JAMA. 2001;286(24):3089–3096. 10.1001/jama.286.24.3089 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Merrick MT, Ford DC, Ports KA, Guinn AS. Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences from the 2011–2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 23 states. JAMA Pediatr. 2018;172(11):1038–1044. 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2537 - DOI - PMC - PubMed