Childhood trauma
Children's growing years should be happy ones, of knowledge, pleasure, safety. For many kids, though, early life experiences are stressful, neglectful, or abusive and traumatic. It has long been understood that the challenges can impact on one's mental and physical health in adulthood. But new research indicates that childhood trauma can also accelerate the ageing of the body at a cellular level.
A recent study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry delved into the possible issues that trauma and adversity could set up for accelerated biological ageing. Stressful childhood events can have a very lasting impact on cells and DNA, the study, "Trauma, adversity, and biological aging: behavioral mechanisms relevant to treatment and theory", explains.
They discovered that children raised in extremely traumatic conditions, including violence, response to stress and neglect or abuse, presented some indicators of accelerated "biological ageing" when compared to children raised in less traumatic environments. Biological ageing is more than just chronological ageing. Chronological age is the age counted by years lived whereas Biological ageing is the appearance of age (by the condition and functioning of the cells and tissues of the body).
One of the key factors scientists looked at is telomeres. Natural caps at the tips of chromosomes are called telomeres and they gradually get shorter over time. The shorter the telomere the more association with ageing and higher risk for diseases. Earlier research, including work released by Biological Psychiatry, had linked childhood maltreatment with quicker "aging" of cells to be indicated by faster telomere shortening.
Epigenetic changes are also highlighted in the new review. Epigenetics is the mechanism by which genes and hindrances to gene expression change without actually changing the DNA. Childhood trauma could impact DNA methylation genetic changes that have links to ageing and increased risk of disease in later life, researchers found.
This is believed to be due to chronic stress. If a child suffers from constant fear or emotional upset, the body's "fight or flight" response stays active on the planet. This can lead to inflammation over time, damage cells and thus impact the immune function. As a result of these biological alterations, diseases including depression and anxiety, cardiovascular disease and diabetes can occur in adulthood.
The good part is that the effects of trauma may not be completely permanent. Researchers identify the positive relationships, therapy, stress management and healthy lifestyle habits that can help with the effects of early hardship. Other research indicates that psychological interventions and child parent therapy may lead to deceleration of accelerated biological ageing in traumatised children.
They are promising findings but still need further research in the field, experts tell us, but what they do indicate is a significant need to develop environments where children are safe and cared for. Treatment of emotional issues or mental health concerns early may not only benefit psychological health, but also help prevent long-term health risks and prevent accelerated aging of cells.
The research is part of several studies conducing that early life conditions negatively impact health not just for the first ten years, but in the mind and body throughout life.
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