Introduction

According to the proponents of psychodynamic approach to the study of psychology, childhood experiences, which are the ordeals or up-bringing conditions a person undergoes through as a child, affects a person’s adulthood in ways the person may not know. These experiences could be emotional, psychological, physical, cultural, or even sexual. Also, childhood experiences play a significant role in shaping our views and perceptions in adulthood.

Childhood experiences can be classified into Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE’s). ACE’s are potential traumatic life events that occur before the age of 18, including child abuse (physical, emotional or sexual), child neglect, mental illness of family members, parental divorce or separation, family member substance use, death of a love one, etc. [1]

On the other hand, PCE’s are experiences a person has before the age of 18 that are thought to be beneficial, such as access to good feeding, access to quality education, good environment, positive relationships with parents and other adults, household routines, beliefs that provide comfort, having good neighbours, a friendly cultural environment, etc. [2]

The effects of childhood experience on adulthood based on this writing would be evaluated on three categories. Thus; effects on adult health; adult social life, and adult family life.

Adult health

The effect of childhood experiences on the adult health cannot be overemphasized. This is because it goes a long way to affect the mental and emotional well-being of the individual. According to research, individuals who experience numerous Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) early in their childhood are at risk of developing depression, anxiety, substance abuse habits, and detrimental health behaviours as they mature into adulthood [3]. Also, science has shown that ACE’s can cause toxic stress which can in turn increase the risk of lifelong problems.

For instance, a child exposed to physical abuse such as yelling, beating, swearing at, etc, may develop fear, low self-confidence and inability to express his feelings. This in turns could lead to depression in adulthood. Similarly, a child that experienced death of a loved one, broken home, lack of access to good food, etc, may have struggle with anxiety and high stress level, if not properly managed. This is also in tandem with a person that experienced sexual abuse in his/her childhood. Such a person may struggle with depression, anxiety, drug abuse, high stress level, etc.

Conversely, Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE’s) independently lead to better health and may offset the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on adult health. Thus, when an individual had a positive childhood experience, he or she tends to be happier, more expressive, confident, healthier and not easily susceptible to emotional breakdown, such as depression, chronic anxiety, high stress level, etc. 

Adult Social Life

The social life of a person entails the connection of the person with his or her social environment. Since man is a social being, his social life is very essential for his social growth and development, and this is also dependent on his childhood experience. Thus, if a person had positive childhood experiences, he or she would most likely have an active social life in adulthood. However, if it is a negative childhood experience, it would most likely become the otherwise.

Taking for instance, a child that is not allowed to go out or play with other kids or that is always indoors, may grow to have an anti-social personality. But it will be otherwise for a child given opportunity to associate with other kids with a discreet level of restraint. This would also be the case if the child grew up in society or environment that is discriminatory either by sex or culture or religion.

Similarly, an individual that had poor education growing up, experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse, may grow up to become docile, have low self-confidence, unexpressive and indifferent to social affairs. Also, if the individual witnessed cultural discrimination, broken home, environment hazard, war, inequality, etc, while growing up, it could in turn affect the individual’s social perception. However, the child shown love and care, exposed to quality education and other positive childhood experiences, may grow up to become a socially active and healthy individual, confident, expressive, etc. This may also affect the individual’s perception of his social environment.

Family health

Family health is a resource at the level of the family unit that develops from the intersections of the health of each family member, their interactions and capacities, as well as the family’s physical, social, emotional, economic, and medical resources [4]. It is shaped not only by genetics but also by family functioning and family experiences, including the ability of the family to adapt to internal and external challenges and experiences. 

Positive family health promotes belonging, caring and the capacity to perform family responsibilities, which in turn promotes the health of individual members. Thus, childhood experiences affect family health in adulthood in an expected direction[5]. For instance, an individual that grew up in a family that had zero family security, dangerous family lifestyle, inadequate health resource, poor social health lifestyle, poor family external social support, etc, may have a poor family health in adulthood and exhibit same. 

Similarly, research has demonstrated that parenting styles are often down to children who then parent their children using similar methods and tradition [6]. Also, research indicated that individuals who were abused as children are more likely to abuse their own children [7], and parents who have unresolved emotional issues from childhood are more disorganized in their parent child attachments and exhibits more frightening parenting behaviours. [8] 

On the other hand, parents who were raised in a home that had more positive coping strategies and parenting efficacy were more likely to perpetrate those positive coping strategies in their own families. Other studies have shown that parents who have experienced more positive childhood experiences are better able to provide an improved life for their children and overall health [9].

Conclusion

The effects of childhood experiences on adulthood cannot be overemphasized. This is because, adulthood is the extension of childhood experiences. Thus, when an individual has adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) or positive childhood experiences (PCE’s), these experiences play out in the individual’s adulthood, and affect the individual mentally, emotionally, psychologically, socially, economically and also health wise. To this effect, there is great need to grow and maintain a good family health, family relationship, good cultural environment, and also social environment, so that the rate of unhealthy childhood experiences can be reduced.

References/Endnotes

1. Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, Williamson DF, Spitz AM, Edwards V, et al.Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study. Am J Prev Med. 1998;14(4):245–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8.
2. CrandallA, Miller JR, Cheung A, Novilla LK, Glade R, Novilla MLB, et al. ACEs and counter-ACEs: how positive and negative childhood experiences influence adult health. Child Abuse Negl. 2019;96:104089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104089.
3. ChartierMJ, Walker JR, Naimark B. Separate and cumulative effects of adverse childhood experiences in predicting adult health and health care utilization. Child Abuse Negl. 2010;34(6):454–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.09.020.
4. Weiss-LaxerNS, Crandall A, Okano L, Riley AW. Building a Foundation for Family Health Measurement in National Surveys: a modified Delphi expert process. Matern Child Health J. 2020;24(3):259–66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-019-02870-w.
5. SchumannDA, Mosley WH. The household production of health: introduction. Soc Sci Med. 1994;38(2):201–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(94)90389-1.
6. SchofieldTJ, Conger RD, Neppl TK. Positive parenting, beliefs about parental efficacy, and active coping: three sources of intergenerational resilience. J Fam Psychol. 2014;28(6):9738. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000024.
7. DixonL, Browne K, Hamilton-Giachritsis C. Risk factors of parents abused as children: a mediational analysis of the intergenerational continuity of child maltreatment (part I). J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2005;46(1):47–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00339.x.
8. MurphyA, Steele M, Dube SR, Bate J, Bonuck K, Meissner P, et al. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) questionnaire and adult attachment interview (AAI): implications for parent child relationships. Child Abuse Negl. 2014;38(2):224–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.09.004.
9. TaylorSM, Ward P, Zabriskie R, Hill B, Hanson C. Influences on active family leisure and a healthy lifestyle among adolescents. Leis Sci. 2012;34(4):332–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2012.687643.

About the Author

Chioma Obiajuru is a Law undergraduate at the university of Benin, Benin city, Edo State Nigeria. She is a young writer and passionate about using her writings to positively impact her society. Areas of kin interest include: Poetry, Legal writing, inspirational writing, writings on self confidence, self development, and other Christian writings.