Health inequalities

• Health inequalities are unjust and avoidable differences in people's health across the population and between specific population groups
• They are socially determined by circumstances largely beyond an individual's control
• These circumstances disadvantage people and limit their chance to live longer, healthier lives

Adverse childhood experiences

• ACEs are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being
• These experiences range from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to parental divorce or the incarceration of a parent or guardian

Biological response to adversity

• Toxic stress describes knowledge about the effects of excessive activation of the stress response system on a child's developing brain and other biological systems
• Chronic traumatic stress in early life fundamentally alters nervous, hormonal, and immunological development

Intergenerational effect

• 'Intergenerational' transmission of adversity is well documented in relation to child abuse, mental ill health, and substance misuse
• One study suggests 1/3 of parents who were maltreated in childhood will maltreat their own children, however this also shows that most people who were maltreated do not go on to maltreat their own children