Trauma/ACEs can lead to substantial short and long-term health problems, but harmful exposures are NOT deterministic! I am thrilled to announce our new study findings, just published in Psychological Science, where we explored the positive impact of family-focused therapy interventions on the health of children exposed to trauma.
Findings demonstrate that psychosocial child-parent interventions can offset biological health risk, slowing cellular aging in young children who have experienced trauma. This is an important breakthrough in understanding how trauma-focused interventions, like Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), can benefit children's long-term mental and physical health.
It has been a gift to partner with CPP’s developer, Dr. Alicia Lieberman, Chandra Ghosh Ippen, Miriam Hernandez Dimmler and their team on this novel study. CPP is an evidence-based psychosocial intervention designed to support families of young children exposed to trauma, such as violence or the loss of a parent. https://lnkd.in/giP9cuKF
We partnered w/ Michael S. Kobor to measure biological risk using epigenetic age acceleration. Results were compelling: children who received CPP showed reduced epigenetic age acceleration compared to a matched community comparison group, indicating that therapy positively impacted a measure of biological health linked to a host of childhood and adulthood mental and physical health problems.
This research underscores the importance of investing in psychosocial interventions, community-based programs, and public health policies that empower caregivers to provide safe, responsive parenting. Such investments have the potential to yield significant long-term benefits for children's mental and physical well-being.
Read the:
scientific article: https://lnkd.in/g8Ac3AAT
UCSF news story: https://lnkd.in/geKdEvN8
X thread: https://lnkd.in/gUCAu5uj
my program website for broader context: https://lnkd.in/gHawe-MF
Alexandra (Allie) D. W. Sullivan, PhD & Sarah Merrill brilliantly co-1st authored this paper!
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all collaborators, institutions, funders, & especially the participants who made this research possible. Together, we're making strides toward a healthier future for our children. #mentalhealthishealth
This complex multiteam, longitudinal intervention-biology research was generously supported by grants from SAMHSA, NIH, and CIHR, and funding by the RWJF, the Lisa and John Pritzker Pritzker Family Foundation, the TauberFamilyFoundation, the Lisa Stone Pritzker Family Foundation, the Irving Harris Foundation, and the Harvard Toxic Stress Research Network funded by the THE JPB FOUNDATION. In particular, I want to shout out to Lisa S. Pritzker, who has been a cherished advocate in this space, for ensuring we were able to carry this complex project over the finish line! 🙏
UCSF Pediatrics UCSF Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals
Molly McCoy graphic
