The Impact of Trauma on Children’s and Young People’s Mental and Physical Health

Dr Antonella Trotta

With most mental health problems having their onset by adolescence and early adulthood, there is a public health need to identify young people who are at increased risk of developing mental health difficulties.

In this talk, I will present findings on biological and psychological factors that influence young adults’ mental health. Specifically, the impact of trauma on children’s and young people’s mental and physical health will be discussed, also considering the nature and the timing of the traumatic experience.

I will show results from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, which tracks the development of a birth cohort of 2232 British children, to illustrate the longitudinal association of childhood victimization with inflammatory markers and psychotic experiences in adolescence and young adulthood.