A mark on bodies and minds
The Trauma Research Laboratory at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw has examined how childhood trauma affects selected aspects of Poles’ health. The initial data were already thought-provoking, showing that the level of adverse childhood experiences in Poland is significantly higher than in many other countries.
What exactly are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)? Prof. Marcin Rzeszutek, head of the laboratory, defines them as “potentially traumatic or highly stressful events that occur during the first 18 years of life.”
“ACEs include abuse (e.g., physical, emotional, or sexual violence, as well as neglect), dysfunction in the immediate family (e.g., growing up surrounded by people with mental disorders or by alcohol or drug addiction), and negative social factors (e.g., extreme poverty in the family). Our research shows that 53% of respondents experienced at least one ACE, and 36% experienced two or more,” explains Prof. Rzeszutek.
In other words, every second Pole has had potentially traumatic experiences in childhood, and for every third person these experiences were repeated. Such trauma can stay with us for years, leaving marks on both body and mind. It may affect physical health, make it harder to regulate emotions, and shape eating habits.
The laboratory’s research shows that analyzing difficult childhood experiences can shed light on key health problems in adulthood. Researchers at the University of Warsaw focused on symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), irritable bowel syndrome, diet quality, and orthorexia – an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.
How are childhood traumas linked to adult health?
The study involved 3,500 participants – a representative sample of Poles in terms of gender, age, education, and place of residence, based on data from Poland’s Central Statistical Office.
To examine the phenomenon, Prof. Rzeszutek’s team used the ACE-10 scale, which includes ten types of negative childhood experiences. These include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect; parental separation or divorce; and the presence in the household of violence, addiction, mental disorders, suicide attempts, or the imprisonment of a family member.
Participants completed questionnaires about their emotional state, stress levels, symptoms of anxiety or depression, their relationship with their bodies, diet quality, healthy-eating habits, and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. What did the researchers find?
For more information on this topic, see the European Journal of Psychotraumatology.
A difficult childhood, a difficult adulthood
The more adverse experiences in childhood, the greater the risk of psychological problems later in life – such as complex PTSD, a mental disorder resulting from chronic trauma during childhood.
Research by the team from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw suggests that as many as 11% of Poles may suffer from this condition. Globally, the estimated prevalence ranges from 1% to 8%. Researchers emphasize that not only the number of such experiences matters, but also their type. People who experienced sexual abuse, emotional or physical neglect, or who grew up in a household with someone suffering from mental illness are particularly at risk.
However, the impact of childhood trauma extends beyond mental health. One condition that may be linked to it is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). According to the latest diagnostic criteria, approximately 4.5% of Poles struggle with IBS.
The condition manifests in symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation, and these ailments often have a psychosomatic basis. Stress can disrupt the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which in turn may lead to changes in the composition of the gut microbiota—the community of bacteria living in our intestines.
An imbalance in the microbiota can affect the functioning of the nervous system and intensify or prolong stress, creating a vicious cycle in which psychological and gastrointestinal symptoms reinforce one another.
Prof. Rzeszutek’s research suggests that IBS may result from the long-term effects of childhood trauma: the number of negative experiences correlates with the severity of symptoms, as well as with perceived stress, depression, and anxiety.
These early difficult experiences can also shape our relationship with food. People who have experienced them are more likely to struggle with obesity and tend to reach for unhealthy foods. At the same time, they are more likely than others to develop a pathological form of orthorexia – a stressful obsession with healthy eating that can negatively affect both mental and physical health.
“The results of our study showed that ACEs may be significantly related to eating habits in adulthood. This may be connected, among other things, with difficulties in regulating emotions later in life,” notes Prof. Rzeszutek.
For more information on this topic, see the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
Emotions as the foundation
Emotion regulation is the ability to recognize, control, name, and express feelings. We develop this skill from an early age through relationships with others and through social interactions. Its effectiveness plays a crucial role in our mental health and lifestyle later in life.
This is why people with impaired emotion regulation are more likely to experience chronic diseases and various health problems. Childhood trauma, in turn, can disrupt the development of this ability.
Can the problem be addressed? The findings of Prof. Rzeszutek’s team suggest that early psychological support for both children and adults who have experienced potentially traumatic events is extremely important.
“It is important for patients – as well as for family doctors and dietitians – to be aware that factors that are not obvious at first glance, such as traumatic childhood experiences, may contribute to the development of unhealthy eating patterns and obesity,” emphasizes Prof. Rzeszutek.
A holistic approach that combines psychological, pharmacological, and dietary therapy may be key to improving patients’ health. Taking childhood trauma into account in diagnosis and treatment is therefore an important step toward effectively addressing eating disorders – and Poland is already facing an obesity epidemic – as well as broader mental-health problems.
Further information on this topic is available here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666324005531?via%3Dihub
Read more about the Trauma Research Laboratory
The text was originally published in Polish on the Serwis Naukowy UW website on February 19, 2025.
