The State of the Art Resilience and Toxic Stress Research: Policy and Practice Implications

The pandemic and the deaths of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and others has further highlighted profound racial disparities and unresolved issues of systemic racism in this country. In this webinar, the broad range of negative mental and physical health outcomes associated with the two ACEs—Adverse Childhood Experiences (e.g., child maltreatment) and Adverse Community Environments (e.g., discrimination)—are reviewed. Emerging data on the mechanisms by which these experiences can ‘get under the skin’ and transmit risk transgenerationally are discussed. Key factors for promoting resilience and recovery will then be delineated, together with specific policy and practice recommendations.

• Delineate the broad range of negative sequelae associated with the two ACEs.
• Describe mechanisms by which the ACEs ‘get under the skin’ to confer risk for deleterious mental and physical health outcomes.
• List key factors associated with promoting resilience and recovery.

Joan Kaufman, PhD