THRIVING AFTER ACES
Adults who've experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) could feel hopeless about their future as a result of the trauma and hardships during their childhood years. Research, however, is promising, relating that adults who suffered as children can still thrive.
Developing resilience, even many years after ACEs occurred, can produce healthy and positive results. Jack Shonkoff, a pediatrician and director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2021), explained that age-appropriate and health-promoting activities can enable people to recover from the harmful and stressful experiences of childhood. Habits of physical exercise, stress-reducing practices, and programs that exercise the brain's executive functions and self-regulation skills are beneficial.
Fostering and keeping close relationships is also significant in overcoming the effects of ACEs. The social support of others is another means to build resilience and continue bolstering one's physical and mental health.
Shonkoff said that adults who intentionally work on resilience development and maintain close, positive relationships also benefit the children and grandchildren around them by modeling healthy behaviors; this can reinforce the resilience of the next generations.
The 10-question ACEs quiz can offer insight for adults into the risk potential of poor health outcomes due to ACEs. The quiz is provided for free at American SPCC https://americanspcc.org/take-the-aces-quiz/
Center on the Developing Child. (2021). Resilience. Harvard University. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/[Context Link]
INTERGENERATIONAL APPROACH TO ELDERLY ISOLATION
An intergenerational study is underway to assess the feasibility of one-on-one coaching of senior adults to use technology. Hoang et al. (2021) in Ontario, Canada, have recruited adult participants older than 80 years and residing in a long-term care facility to test a proposed intervention to increase the technology literacy in older adults as a means to reducing their social isolation and loneliness.
The study, which was temporarily halted in 2020 due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, will provide 8 weekly 1-hour sessions of in-person technology coaching to learn how to send email to one or more family members.
The coaches for the senior adults are members of a student technology and computer club at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. These volunteers have been trained how to teach older adults to use technology. A control group in which no coaching or email use is occurring is also part of the study protocol.
The researchers hope the study will improve understanding of how intergenerational technology programs for older adults can reduce the loneliness, social isolation, and resulting poor mental health outcomes common among senior adults.
Hoang P., Whaley C., Thompson K., Ho V., Rehman U., Boluk K., Grindrod K. A. (2021). Evaluation of an intergenerational and technological intervention for loneliness: Protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 10(2), e23767. https://doi.org/10.2196/23767[Context Link]
THE POWER OF PLEASANTNESS
...Speech is an awesome responsibility. It's hard to imagine that our casual comments can have eternal implications, but they can. God anoints them for blessing, and Satan uses them for cursing. Both blessings and curses have a dramatic impact on the heart and soul of human beings. They often dictate the direction we go-forever.
That's why pleasant words are sweet and soothing. They have deep spiritual impact. They are not neutral claims of neutral people; they are vehicles for both the power of God for the corruption of this world. They can be inspired by the Holy One or hijacked by the evil one. They matter-a lot.
Try this mental exercise: Learn to consider each of your words as a powerful spark, a small investment in a vast future. See the implications beyond the moment. Discipline your mouth to be silent until you are sure your words are (1) consistent with Scripture and (2) flavored with grace. That doesn't mean you'll never say anything harsh-some situations beg for rebuke. But let your speech be redemptive. Most of all, let it point to God. (Tiegreen, 2004, p. 158)
PulseBeats compiled by Karen Schmidt and Cathy Walker.
Tiegreen C. (2004). The one year walk with God devotional: Wisdom from the Bible to renew your mind. Tyndale. [Context Link]