Links between adverse childhood experiences and self-harm

In this blog post from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), Dr Abigail Russell talks about research into adverse childhood experiences or ‘ACEs’ and what we know about the relationship between ACES, mental health and self-harm. Abby also discusses her ongoing research at the University of Bristol (PI Dr Becky Mars), which is investigating potential biological mechanisms linking ACEs and self-harm. These include inflammation, pubertal timing and DNA methylation.