The Past, Present, and Promise of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Science

In a now classic study, Felitti et al. (Am J Preventive Med 14:245–258, 1998) reported on the systematic measurement of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), documenting the effects of adversity and trauma on physical and mental health. This highly influential report catalyzed clinical investigations and practice for prevention and intervention. It also generated extensive scientific inquiry into ACEs across a range of disciplines. As the introduction to the Handbook of Adverse Childhood Experiences, this chapter begins by presenting basic concepts and constructs and summarizing research advances since the original report. In addition to providing an overview of the chapters by expert authors included in this volume, this chapter addresses challenges in translating the ACEs research to practice and lays the foundation for the development of a unifying framework for conceptualizing scientific research and applications in public health, medicine, psychology, and allied disciplines, as well as policy.