Mindfulness May Help Adults Combat Childhood Trauma, New Study Finds

Sharon Moore September 16, 2014

Despite the fact that many years have passed, some adults who have experienced trauma during childhood couldn’t get over it, which increases their risk of suffering from mental illness. But a new study found a solution. For the first time, researchers showed that adults who are mindful in the moment have better health.

In the study, Robert Whitaker, M.D., M.P.H., and colleagues at Temple University surveyed 2,160 adults working in Head Start, the nation’s largest federally-funded early childhood education programme.

Survey respondents, who worked in 66 Pennsylvania Head Start programs, were asked if they experienced any of eight types of childhood adversity, such as being abused or having a parent with alcoholism or drug addiction. They were asked questions about their current health, as well their mindfulness, meaning their tendency in daily life to pay attention to what is happening in the moment and to be aware of and accepting of their thoughts and feelings.

Study Findings

Nearly one-fourth of those surveyed reported three or more types of adverse childhood experiences, and almost 30 per cent reported having three or more stress-related health conditions like depression, headache, or back pain, according to the researchers. However, the risk of having multiple health conditions was nearly 50 per cent lower among those with the highest level of mindfulness compared to those with the lowest. This was true even for those who had multiple types of childhood adversity.

“Regardless of the amount of childhood adversity, those who were more mindful also reported significantly better health behaviours, like getting enough sleep, and better functioning, such as having fewer days per month when they felt poorly — either mentally or physically,” said Whitaker, professor of public health and paediatrics at Temple University.

“Our results suggest that mindfulness may provide some resilience against the poor adult health outcomes that often result from childhood trauma,” he said.

“Mindfulness training may help adults, including those with a history of childhood trauma, to improve their own well-being and be more effective with children.” Whitaker emphasised that many studies have shown that meditation can improve psychological and physical symptoms such as depression and pain. But more research is needed to see if interventions to increase mindfulness can improve the health and functioning of those who have had adverse childhood experiences.

Their findings were published in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Source of this article: Mindfulness Can Help Adults Overcome Childhood Trauma