Abstract
Despite dramatic improvements in survival, nutrition, and education over recent decades, today’s children face an uncertain future. High rates of trauma such as from the fallout of the relentless ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, migrating populations and refugees, conflicts, climate change, ecological degradation, pervasive inequalities, and predatory commercial practices all threaten the health and future of children and adults worldwide. Primary and secondary prevention, health equity, and trauma-informed institutional and public policies to promote healing and resilience are critically needed to address the astronomical problem of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other trauma throughout the life course. These are discussed here with emphasis on maternal health, schools, obesity, dietary and traumatic brain injury (TBI) policies, and directions for future research. Evidence-based interventions to potentially prevent, mitigate, and possibly reverse the negative consequences of trauma are described throughout the chapters in Part IV. Prevention, recovery, and resilience are possible, and the hope is for this book to provide the tools for the best evidence-based interventions to promote optimal brain health and flourishing for everyone, especially survivors of ACEs and other trauma.
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Brewer-Smyth, K. (2022). Primary and Secondary Prevention, Health Equity, and Trauma-Informed Institutional and Public Policies to Promote Healing and Resilience. In: Adverse Childhood Experiences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08801-8_16
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