Six in 10 adults in North had a childhood trauma in ‘major public health challenge’

Almost two-thirds of the adult population of Northern Ireland has experienced at least one traumatic childhood event, according to a groundbreaking report published on Thursday.

The study found that 60 per cent of adults reported at least one adverse childhood experience (Ace) and 17.6 per cent experienced four or more, a critical threshold which is more likely to lead to poorer health and educational outcomes.

The North’s minister for justice, Naomi Long, said the findings were “striking and sobering” and “for the first time, the true extent of childhood trauma and its impact on all people in Northern Ireland has been documented and measured for all to see”.

“That 60 per cent of our adult population reports at least one traumatic childhood event, with nearly one in five experiencing four or more, represents a major public-health challenge,” she said.

The study, by Queen’s University Belfast, and commissioned by the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime, is the first comprehensive assessment of Aces among the adult population of Northern Ireland and is one of few such studies in post-conflict societies.

Aces are defined as traumatic or stressful experiences that occur in childhood and can have enduring consequences on mental and physical wellbeing throughout life.

The report found that 30 per cent of respondents experienced adversities specific to conflict, which the minister said “illuminated the unique context of trauma in Northern Ireland”, and Aces were more likely to be concentrated in deprived communities.

Though older age groups (45-65) reported higher rates of conflict-related adversities, reflecting their direct experience of the Troubles, younger adults aged 18-24 were “not immune to ongoing paramilitary violence even in post-conflict Northern Ireland,” it concluded.

[ Trauma from Troubles evident in higher rates of mental health problems among young people in Northern IrelandOpens in new window ]

Speaking ahead of the launch of the research on Thursday, Ms Long said there was now “crucial evidence of how childhood trauma shapes life outcomes in Northern Ireland”.

“The findings show clear correlations between higher exposure to trauma in childhood and many negative outcomes, including poorer educational achievement, chronic health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain, increased exposure to domestic violence, addiction, poor mental health and health-harming behaviours.

“These are significant findings, which will impact and inform policy and delivery across the Executive.

“Perhaps most concerning is the evidence that, despite being almost 27 years past the Good Friday Agreement, our younger generation continues to experience trauma linked to paramilitary activity,” she said.

The director of the Northern Executive’s Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime, Adele Brown, said the findings showed the “critical importance” of addressing childhood trauma.

“Our young people deserve a level playing field where intergenerational and domestic trauma doesn’t hold them back.

“We very much hope that the study’s findings will inform policy development and service provision across health, education, justice and social services sectors in Northern Ireland,” she said.