Nearly half of all New Hampshire adults say they experienced stressful or traumatic events in childhood, and new data show it is hurting their health.
The Department of Public of Health and the governor's early childhood advisory council, Spark NH, released statistics Monday about the relationship between health indicators in New Hampshire adults and their exposure to what are called Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACES. That includes things like abuse and neglect, witnessing domestic violence and growing up with relatives who have substance use disorders.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey showed 17 percent of adults with at least one ACE are in fair or poor health compared to 10 percent with no ACES. There was a similar correlation with mental health.
