Psychological trauma and adversity including ACES (adverse childhood experiences)

Background

In Scotland, testimonies from those of us with lived experience of psychological trauma and adversity helped us to understand how vital it is to understand and tackle long-term health impacts, barriers to accessing services, stigma and discrimination and subsequent inequalities. 

In particular, we know that psychological trauma and adversity experienced in childhood can increase the risk of long-term significant negative impacts on physical and mental health and wellbeing. The term ‘adverse childhood experiences’ (ACEs) was first used in a survey carried out in the US in the 1990s. Since then, numerous ACEs studies have been conducted in many countries.

We made a commitment in our Programme for Government 2017-2018 to prevent and mitigate ACEs and to support the resilience of children and adults negatively affected. We built on this commitment in our Programme for Government 2018-19, setting out four key areas for action on ACEs and reiterating these in our Programme for Government 2019-20. These four key areas for action were to:

• support parents, families and children to prevent ACEs
• mitigate the negative impact of ACEs for children and young people
• develop adversity and trauma-informed workforce and services, supported by the National Trauma Training Programme (since renamed the National Trauma Transformation Programme)
• raise societal awareness about ACEs and support action across communities

These areas for action were anchored in our commitments to children’s rights, tackling child poverty, the long-standing national approach of Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) and better supporting adults affected by psychological trauma and adversity.  

In our Programmes for Government for 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022, we set out further commitments to:

• tackle child poverty
• fulfil The Promise
• support families through the Family Wellbeing fund
• expand the National Trauma Training Programme (now the National Trauma Transformation Programme)
• progress children’s rights, incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law 

By helping to prevent psychological trauma and adversity and reduce their negative impacts, we are contributing to a wide range of the outcomes set out in the National Performance Framework, including ‘we are healthy and active’, ‘we grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential’ and ‘we respect, protect and fulfil human rights and live free from discrimination’.

Some other related policy areas are:

• alcohol and drugs
• early education and care
• looked-after children
• justice
• maternal and child health
• mental health
• supporting child abuse survivors
• violence against women and girls