Early Adversity

"Significant adversity early in life can damage the architecture of the developing brain and increase the likelihood of significant mental health problems that may emerge either early or years later."  This is a finding in Harvard's Center of the Developing Child working paper, "Mental Health Problems in Early Childhood Can Impair Learning and Behavior for Life."  The report continues....

"Life circumstances associated with family stress, such as persistence of poverty, threatening neighborhoods, and very poor child care conditions, elevate the risk of serious mental health problems and undermine healthy functioning in the early years.  Early childhood adversity of this kind also increases the risk of adult health and mental health problems because of its enduring effects on the body and brain development.  Young children who experience recurrent abuse or chronic neglect, regularly witness domestic violence, or live in homes permeated by parental mental health or substance abuse problems are particularly vulnerable....

"All of these situations are stressful for children.  Persistent activation of biological stress response systems leads to abnormal levels of stress hormones that have the capacity to damage brain architecture if they do not normalize.  In the absence of buffering protection of supportive relationships, these hormone levels can remain out of balance.  Known as toxic stress, this condition literally interferes with developing brain circuits, and poses a serious threat to young children, not only because it undermines their emotional well-being, but also because it can impair a wider range of developmental outcomes including early learning, exploration and curiosity, school readiness, and later school achievement."

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