Early Life Adversity and Adult Health

Cynthia S. Levine, Greg Miller, Margie E. Lachman, Teresa Seeman, Edith Chen

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Research has shown that early life adversity can have implications for health later in life. Specifically, socioeconomic disadvantage, parental maltreatment, and parent divorce and death in childhood have been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and mortality in adulthood. Increasingly, recent research has focused on which factors can protect against these poor health outcomes and what promotes resilience, despite early life adversity. This chapter reviews research linking early life adversity to health, with a focus on highlighting the psychosocial factors that play this type of protective role. These factors include social and relational ones, such as maternal nurturance, as well as beliefs and coping strategies. The chapter concludes by suggesting areas of future research, including additional investigation of which psychosocial factors protect health, how multiple psychosocial factors might interact to protect health, and how early life adversity might affect adult health across different groups throughout the life span.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of Integrative Health Science
EditorsCarol D Ryff, Robert F Krueger
PublisherOxford Universtity Press
ISBN (Print)9780190676384
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018

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