FAMILY MENTAL WELLNESS
The state of Adverse Childhood Experiences scores in Oklahoma AND WHAT YOUR FAMILY CAN DO TO ENACT POSITIVE CHANGE
BY ERIN PAGE
SPONSORED BY
By age 17, nearly one in five Oklahoma children has experienced traumatic events in their lives, also known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). As reported by the United Health Foundation, the statistics make Oklahoma the ninth-highest state for ACEs in kids. ACEs include abuse, neglect or household dysfunction — for example, a caregiver with substance use disorder, an incarcerated relative or a parent with a mental health condition. They can also include the death of a parent, divorce, poverty or being treated unfairly due to race or ethnicity. One in six adults in the United States has experienced four or more ACEs, and people with six or more ACEs die nearly 20 years earlier, on average, than those without ACEs, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. That’s because as the number of ACEs increases, so does the risk for negative health outcomes, not just in childhood, but throughout an individual’s life. ACEs can lead to depression, anxiety, suicide, poor maternal health, infectious disease, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as more limited opportunities in education, income and occupation. In fact, at least five of the top 10 leading causes of death, like cancer and diabetes, are associated with and more prevalent in those with more ACEs. Now for the good news: ACEs can be prevented. And when ACEs do occur, the effects can be mitigated. “ACEs continue to be a concern for Oklahoma — we continue to see high rates for our population in general,” reports Audra Haney, senior manager for infant and early childhood mental health with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services. “What is encouraging is how much awareness is building in the general community around the importance of early intervention and prevention efforts at a community level.” Preventing ACEs at home The best way for parents to prevent ACEs, or promote healing if an ACE occurs, is to prioritize a strong relationship with their children. Key areas of focus for positive relationships between
parents and children include encouraging communication, asking for children’s input, providing emotional guidance and regulation strategies, setting fair rules and limitations and employing discipline over punishment. “One of the most positive things is that the biggest protective factor for your children is your relationship with them,” said Haney. “Having that caring, nurturing relationship with an adult, unconditional love and acceptance, is protective. Also wonderful news: we don’t have to be perfect. Those experiences are cumulative over time, so a generally positive, consistent response is good enough.” Parents can focus on providing children with these crucial experiences to protect them against ACEs or help them heal: • parent/caregiver unconditional love
• spending time with a friend • volunteering or helping others • being active in a social group • having a mentor outside of the family • living in a clean, safe home with enough food • having opportunities to learn • having a hobby • being active or playing sports • having routines and fair rules at home
Haney advises families to regularly practice emotional regulation together through techniques like breathing or grounding. Families can simply inhale and exhale slowly together, or use a technique like box breathing (Breathe in while counting to four. Hold your breath for four seconds. Exhale while counting to four. Repeat.) Grounding reconnects the body to the present through use of the five senses. (Identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste or remember tasting.) Practicing these regulation skills consistently makes them easier to use to when we as parents or our children need them. “We are building our brain capacity, developing patterns in the brain to come back to,” said Haney. “And these can be quick — you don’t have to spend big chunks of time practicing. It’s the small moments that make a difference.”
14 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / SEPT-OCT 2023
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