The Original ACEs Study and Questionnaire
There are several questionnaires available that can be used to determine the level of trauma a person has experienced. However, the first ACEs questionnaire was developed as a result of the Centers for Disease Control-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, (Can you add the link to the study here? It’s the first one in the Research section) one of the largest investigations ever conducted to assess connections between chronic stress caused by early adversity and later-life health. The study, based at Kaiser Permanente’s San Diego Health Appraisal Clinic, was undertaken in a primary care setting to determine the long-term impact of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction during childhood on disease risk factors and incidence, quality of life, health care utilization, and mortality.
From 1995 to 1997, health appraisals were conducted with over 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization members from Southern California. This involved completion of a physical exam, a standardized medical questionnaire that included demographic and biopsychosocial information, as well as a review of previous medical diagnoses and family medical history by a healthcare provider. The CDC continues ongoing surveillance of ACEs by assessing the medical status of the study participants via periodic updates of morbidity and mortality data