Mental Health Archives - Active Healthcare

Resilience – The Key to Combatting Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs)

Lisa Feierstein Asthma, Breathe EZ, Children's Health, Diabetes Leave a comment   , , , , , , ,

The CDC’s Adverse Childhood Events Study (ACE study) revealed a remarkable connection between traumatic events in childhood and chronic diseases and social and emotional problems in adulthood. High ACE scores may mean significantly higher rates of heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes, depression and risk of suicide.

As you would expect, the higher your ACE score, the higher your risk of health issues in adulthood. Studies show with an ACE score of 4 or more your risk of a host of chronic health conditions increases by over 200%. Specifically the risk of depression increases by 400%; the risk of suicide by 1000%. Nearly two-thirds of adults have at least one ACE.

Staggering Statistics

  • An ACE score of 4 increases your odds of getting asthma by 73%
  • A traumatic event during childhood (just one ACE) can triple the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes.

Does a high ACE score sentence you to a life filled with chronic disease? 

Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris believes the answer to that question is a resounding NO. She has personally seen the positive impact of interventional programs where healthcare providers and community resources work together to support those at risk.


Dr. Harris’ approach suggests the following:

  • Screen all patients routinely to determine ACE scores.
  • Provide additional support to families with children with high ACE scores including home visits from professionals, mental health care, nutrition counseling, holistic interventions, and if needed, medications.
  • Educate parents on the negative impacts of chronic stress
  • Increase treatment for patients with asthma or diabetics with higher ACEs scores.

Resilience and Children with Chronic Diseases

Can we train our brains to be more resilient in the face of personal struggles and health problems?  Here are a few tips on how to help your child be more resilient.

Focus on the positive – Encourage your child to connect with friends and other adults.  Support activities and hobbies where your child can build relationships with those with similar interests and build confidence.

Banish Blame –Children may feel guilty that they have a chronic illness. Empower them to live their best life and work through their chronic disease’s challenges.

ACE hugFight Stress – Have your whole family learn a new technique to relieve stress such as yoga, mindfulness, or mediation. Parents need to practice what they preach!

Validate Emotions – Children may have difficulty verbalizing what they are feeling. Listen first and always acknowledge their feelings.

Remain Optimistic – Life is a journey and your child and family may experience setbacks. Help your child set and strive for realistic goals.

Hug Often – Don’t underestimate the value of a hug as a tangible reminder of your love and support. Research shows that giving and receiving hugs reduces stress, and has a host of health related benefits.

We’re All in This Together

ACEs affect all of us directly or indirectly regardless of income level, and impact lifelong health and social well-being. Together, we can lessen these effects by teaching and learning resilience skills, and adopting trauma-informed practices and policies.

Check out some of the resources below for more information about ACE and how to build resilience to combat the effects of chronic stress.

Additional Resources

CDC ACE Study Website
How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime – Ted Talk by Nadine Burke Harris, MD.
ACE Connections Blog
ACEs Quiz link
Six Skills to Help Build Resilience (narrated)
Building Resilience in Children
Wake County NC Resilience Initiative
Benefits of the 20 Second Hug


Mental Health for Teens with Type 1 Diabetes

Lisa Feierstein Children's Health, Diabetes Leave a comment   ,

Research shows that diabetics are at higher risk for mood disorders and other mental illness. During the often tumultuous teenage years, it’s important for parents and caregivers of teens with diabetes to understand how diabetes and mental health interact.

Why mental health is crucial for teens with diabetes

teen mental healthAccording to the American Diabetes Association, diabetic teens tend to show 2-3 times the rate of psychological distress than their peers without diabetes.

Living with diabetes is not easy and can add to the other stress that teens experience. Stress has a negative effect on diabetes, leading to a feedback loop if both a teen’s stress and diabetes are not managed correctly.

Here are some tips for supporting the mental health of teens with diabetes.

Encourage independence

Every teenager wants to be more independent, including those with diabetes. New technology can make it easier than ever for teens to take on a larger role in their diabetes care. Cell phone apps can sync to continuous glucose monitors (see our previous blog “The 411 on CGM” for more information), allowing teens to take initiative while their parents are kept in the loop with automatic updates.

Prioritize self-care

The busy lives of teens can leave no room for personal time to recharge. Especially during stressful times like finals, encourage your teen to take short breaks. Spending a few minutes to take a walk, listen to music, or do something else enjoyable can do wonders to lower stress.

Build a foundation of self-esteem and acceptance

Insecurity can cause teens with diabetes to try and hide their condition from peers. From a young age, educate your child about diabetes and how each part of their diabetes management plan is important. This will instill self-confidence and a greater sense of self-understanding in your child.

Be aware of warning signs

Early detection of psychological distress is important, especially for teens with diabetes. If you notice your teen has lost interest in their favorite activities or has unexpectedly lost or gained weight, check in with your teen and consider getting the help of a professional if needed.

Take care of your own mental health as a caregiver

Several studies have shown that caregivers of children with diabetes have a higher likelihood of depression. While caring for your child, don’t neglect your own mental health. Try joining a local support group for parents of children with type 1 diabetes. Talking with other parents in the same situation can do wonders to boost your outlook.

Wellness of body and mind for diabetic teens is possible

The teenage years are the best time to develop good habits for both physical and mental health. For teens with diabetes, these good habits allow a smooth transition into self-sufficient diabetes management in adulthood.

Additional Resources

ADA Position Statement

JDRF (Triangle/Eastern NC ) – Support Resources for Parents of Children with Type 1 Diabetes

CDC: Diabetes & Mental Health

Teen Focus: Dangerous Duo Type 1 Diabetes and Drinking

Can Diabetes Give You The Blues?

The Lowdown on Stress and Diabetes


Childhood Trauma Linked to Increased Risk of Diabetes

Lisa Feierstein Children's Health, Diabetes Leave a comment  

Doctors don’t know the exact cause of type 1 diabetes, but a new study shows that childhood trauma is linked to an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Researchers polled over 10,000 Swedish families and discovered that children who had experienced a trauma were nearly three times more likely to develop type 1 diabetes. Scientists questioned families about the occurrence of childhood stressors like divorce, illness or a death in the family. Researchers questioned families in southeast Sweden with children born between October 1997 and September 1999.

Dr. Johnny Ludvigsson, coauthor of the study, said that he’s not surprised by the results because of the “connections between the brain and immune system.” Doctors believe type 1 diabetes could be caused by genetics or environmental factors, like exposure to a virus. Type 1 diabetes develops when the body’s immune system starts destroying insulin-producing (islet) cells in the pancreas. After many islet cells are destroys, the body produces little to no insulin.

Although this study shows a link between a stressful childhood event and an increased risk of type 1 diabetes, it doesn’t prove that those events cause type 1 diabetes. Dr. David Marrero, president of health care and education at the American Diabetes Association, says that although you can’t say a childhood trauma was the direct result of your child developing diabetes, it’s worth making an effort to avoid exposing children to high stress events. Encouraging children to eat right and exercise frequently is also an important step in preventing type 2 diabetes.

Additional Resources:


Getting a Grip on Diabetes and Depression

Lisa Feierstein Breathe EZ, Diabetes 1

Diabetes and its relationship to depression is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Doctors and researchers don’t fully understand the relationship between diabetes and depression, but they do have some insight on how diabetes and depression can cause and exacerbate symptoms of each other.

Let’s start with diabetes. Managing diabetes can at times be overwhelming, it can lead to other health problems, and ultimately these stressors can cause symptoms of depression. On the flip side, depression can lead to diabetes if as a result of depression, an individual starts making poor eating choices, exercises less frequently, and/or smokes. These actions plus weight gain are all risk factors for diabetes. As depression worsens, it can affect a patient’s ability to focus and communicate clearly which in turn can make managing diabetes harder.

Since diabetes and depression often go hand in hand, it’s key to address your physical and mental wellbeing. Taking the right medications, seeking therapy, and healthy eating combined with frequent exercise are just a few methods to manage both depression and diabetes. If you need assistance managing your diabetes, call one of our caring professionals to handle your insulin pump, Continuous Glucose Monitor and testing supply needs.


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