Screening or Not Screening? Unresolved Debates on the Use of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire in Routine Screening

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is a landmark study conducted by Kaiser Permanente and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was the first large scale, non-clinical study to document ten categories of adversity in childhood (covering both child maltreatment experiences and household challenges) and to assess their relationship with health outcomes in adulthood. The objective of this information sheet is to summarize recent findings presenting the benefits and limitations of using the ACE questionnaire as part of routine screening in community and clinical samples.