Developmental cascades after early life adversity in a national sample of African American adolescents-View Presentation -

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Video Summary

Dr. Gillis discussed the prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adolescents, focusing particularly on African American youth. She highlighted the importance of studying ACEs during adolescence, as it is a critical period of neurodevelopment and the outcomes in multiple domains begin to emerge at this time. Dr. Gillis presented data from various studies, including the National Survey on Children's Health and the Global Appraisal for Individual Needs, showing the high prevalence of ACEs in African American adolescents. She also discussed the association between ACEs and academic outcomes, substance use, and involvement in the carceral system. Dr. Gillis emphasized the need for early intervention and suggested routine screening for ACEs in multiple settings, including schools, pediatricians' offices, child welfare systems, and the carceral system. She also emphasized the importance of engaging multiple systems of care to address the impact of ACEs and to prevent long-term negative outcomes. Finally, Dr. Gillis discussed the need for funding prevention and early intervention rather than focusing solely on the carceral system. Overall, her presentation highlighted the need to address ACEs and their impact on African American adolescents to promote better outcomes and break the cycle of adversity.

Keywords

adverse childhood experiences

ACEs

adolescents

African American youth

neurodevelopment

prevalence

academic outcomes

substance use

carceral system

early intervention