Stressful childhood: triple the risk of pain for adults!

Stressful childhood: triple the risk of pain for adults!

A recent study shows that stressful childhood experiences dramatically increase the risk of chronic pain in adulthood. Children aged 10 to 12 who have been exposed to such experiences are three times more likely to suffer from chronic pain later in life. These findings are based on a study carried out largely by a research team from Austria and published in the journal “Diagnostics”. It includes 2,577 test subjects who were treated in various departments at Innsbruck University Hospital and sheds light on the connection between childhood trauma and the development of chronic pain conditions later in life. Vienna.at reports that In Europe, an estimated 12-14% of the population is affected by chronic pain. These can not only significantly reduce the quality of life, but can also have massive socio-economic impacts.

The study shows that the annual costs of chronic pain in Europe are between 3 and 10% of gross domestic product. Particularly alarming is the connection between chronic pain, depression and anxiety, which was already known but had not previously been studied in relation to children's developmental age.

Stressful experiences in childhood

Almost a third of the study participants stated that they had chronic pain for longer than six months. The test subjects reported in questionnaires about mistreatment, traumatic experiences and pain symptoms. Around 30% of respondents experienced one to three stressful childhood experiences, while around 6% reported having had more than three such experiences. The most common stressful experiences include emotional abuse, physical or psychological neglect, with emotional abuse being the most common at around 18%. The risk factor for chronic pain is shown to be dose-dependent: the probability increases by 1.5 times with one to three experiences and is even tripled with four or more. ORF Tirol adds that The phase between 10 and 12 years was identified as particularly vulnerable.

The research results highlight the need for early identification and psychosocial support for affected children in order to avoid long-term health consequences. The study complements the findings of previous work examining the connection between childhood trauma and an increased likelihood of illness, particularly in younger adults. According to data from the NAKO health study Mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders and depression are more common side effects.

Long-term consequences of childhood trauma

The study suggests that the effects of childhood trauma not only affect mental health during childhood, but can also lead to physical illness in adulthood. Younger people who suffered childhood trauma have been found to be at significantly higher risk of diseases such as cancer, heart attacks and type 2 diabetes. Differences between genders show that women report more cancer, anxiety and depression diagnoses, while men report more heart disease and diabetes. This finding highlights the urgency of early identification and treatment of childhood trauma to minimize the impact on health.

In summary, research shows that the shadows of childhood can have a deep impact on our health and highlights the importance of preventive measures. The studies underline the need to create greater awareness of the psychological and physical effects of childhood trauma and to also take this into account in the context of World Mental Health Day.