Mental Health, Behavioral Health, and Correlations to Trauma
Research indicates there is a strong correlation between a history of childhood trauma, and subsequent high-risk health behaviors and health problems in adulthood. These include smoking, excessive drinking, substance abuse, and sexualized behavior. As a result, a history of exposure to childhood adverse life experiences often presents as mental health and behavioral problems, and resulting substance abuse.
This session will explore the neurobiology of trauma, that may lead to these negative life outcomes, as the avenue for understanding the “why” of behaviors that arise out of a history of exposure to trauma. This will provide the foundation for understanding behaviors that might be flagged as “mental health” or “behavioral health.” Participants will be able to define “mental health” and “behavioral health,” and develop expertise in understanding adverse childhood experiences as a context for subsequent behaviors. They will also explore important ties to interventions and functional behavioral assessment.
