Closing the Gap between what we know and what we do

Multiplying Connections’ approach is based on a growing body of scientific evidence about the dynamic relationship between our emotional experiences as children and our physical and mental health as adults. Thanks to this research, we now know that caring, positive relationships have a powerful and positive effect on the neurobiology of the developing brain. Conversely, trauma—abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, lack of attachment, and other adverse childhood experiences—affect the structure and chemistry of the brain and stunt its natural growth and maturation. These negative experiences have an effect not only in childhood, but throughout life.¹

The Physiology of Trauma

A variety of studies have pinpointed the impact of trauma on key structures of the developing brain. These includes the hippocampus, which helps us with memory and spatial navigation; the amygdala, which enables us to process emotions; and the cortex, which plays a role in complex cognitive behaviors, personality expression, and moderating correct social behavior.²

In the short-term trauma causes an intense, biological "alarm state," including a rush of adrenaline and intense fear. We stop thinking. We have trouble processing information. We become confused and may feel defeated. Children don’t generally have the resources to cope effectively with trauma, and repeated exposure to traumatic events can begin to block cell growth, short-circuit healthy neural connections, and disrupt the brain’s basic architecture. Ultimately, the brain adapts towards surviving this trauma. This in turn compromises core mental, emotional, and social functioning and normal, healthy development.³

From Science to Society

The societal effects of these early developmental insults are manifested in a variety of troubling ways, challenging and extending our human services systems. Several studies confirm that as many 90% of people in receiving public mental health services diagnosed with major mental illness have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse as children.⁴ Other studies have shown that as many as nine out of ten boys and seven of ten girls in juvenile detention reported traumatic experiences in their childhood.⁵ As one director of a drop-in center for adults who experienced trauma as children has put it, "The brains of adult survivors are fragmented and resemble a hard drive on a computer drive that has crashed."

Healing through a Trauma-Informed Approach to Care

The effects of trauma can be severe, but science also tells us they can be reversed. Biochemical and brain imaging studies are demonstrating that the brain has a powerful ability not only to survive trauma, but to heal itself as well.⁷ Multiplying Connections and a variety of other programs across the country are validating new strategies that undo or at least decrease the effects of childhood trauma. The core principles underlying these approaches include recognizing the family as the constant in a child’s life; providing children with close and consistent positive relationships; creating rich environments and predictable routines that are conducive to learning; and offering developmentally appropriate, safe, and individualized opportunities to develop new skills and express emotions.

For More Science

ACE Study

The ACE Study is an ongoing collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente. Led by Co-principal Investigators Robert F. Anda, MD, MS, and Vincent J. Felitti, MD, the ACE Study is perhaps the largest scientific research study of its kind, analyzing the relationship between multiple categories of childhood trauma (ACEs), and health and behavioral outcomes later in life.
http://www.acestudy.org/

BrainConnection.com

This Web site provides information about how the brain works and how people learn. Many discoveries are being made in areas that relate to the human brain, including language, memory, behavior, and aging, as well as illness and injury. BrainConnection.com also provides practitioner-friendly tools for teaching and learning.
http://www.Brainconnection.com/

Child Trauma Academy

The Child Trauma Academy, a not-for-profit organization based in Houston, Texas, is a collaborative of individuals and organizations working to improve the lives of high-risk children through direct service, research, and education.
http://www.childtrauma.org/

Trauma Informed Systems of Care:

An Update — This article, written by Roger Fallot, PhD and Maxine Harris, PhD, describes their work in developing a framework for assessing, implementing, and measuring trauma-informed approaches in systems of care.
Click here to read this article.

1 Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, Williamson DF, Spitz AM, Edwards V, Koss MP, et al JS. The relationship of adult health status to childhood abuse and household dysfunction. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 1998;14:245-258.

2 Hull, A. (2002). Neuroimaging findings in post-traumatic stress disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 181, 102-110. Also see: Van der Kolk, B., Pelcovitz, D., Roth, S., Mandel, F., McFarlene, A., Herman, J. Dissociation, affect dysregulation and somatization: The complex nature of adaptation to trauma. May 2005.

3 Anda, R., Felitti, V., Walker, J., Whitfield, C., Bremner, J., Perry, B., Dube, S., Giles, W. The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology. (Submitted for publication) (ACE Study).

4 Goodman, L., Rosenberg, S. Mueser, K.,&Drake, R. (1997). Physicaland sexual assault history in women with serious mental illness: Prevalence, correlates, treatment and future research directions. Shizophrenia Bulletin, 23, 685-696.

5 Abram, K.A., Teplin, L.A., Charles, D.R., Longworth, S.L., McClelland, G.M., and Dulcan, M.K. (2004). Posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma in youth in juvenile detention. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 403-409.

6 Kendall, J. “How Child Abuse and Neglect Damage the Brain,” The Boston Globe, September 24, 2003, p. C1.

7 Bessel van der Kolk. (2002) In Terror's Grip: Healing the Ravages of Trauma. Cerebrum, 4, 34-50. NY: The Dana Foundation. Also see: Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. (1997) Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity To Transform Overwhelming Experiences. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books.