Childhood Adversity

Researchers investigating childhood adversity at WVU evaluate the long-term impacts of early adversity on functional, cognitive, and emotional well-being, focusing on mechanisms linking childhood trauma to negative outcomes such as suicide, substance use, and homelessness.

Studies emphasize the role of cultural and protective factors, adaptive behavior in educational contexts, and resilience processes in response to natural disasters. Additionally, research explores how adverse childhood experiences influence personality development, self-medication behaviors, and physiological health over the lifespan.

Dr. Patrick has published several papers and posters exploring the links between early adversity and late-life functional, cognitive and emotional well being.
Dr. St. Peter’s research examines behavioral development with children at risk for behavior disorders, with an emphasis on building adaptive behavior in educational contexts like public schools. Research studies include best practices for teacher education, assessments and interventions for school contents, and effects of implementation errors.
Dr. Roley-Roberts’ research focuses on elucidating mechanisms between childhood adversity (childhood traumatic stress) and negative outcomes such as suicide, substance use, and homelessness. Her work further examines how cultural factors and protective factors influence these complex processes.
As a life span developmentalist, Dr. Strough considers how prior experiences shape individuals’ ability to cope with stressors, including those that accompany natural disasters associated with the ongoing climate crisis. Her team is interested in processes that promote resilience amongst those who have experienced adversities.
Dr. Turiano examines how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact personality development and health over the lifespan. Specific emphasis is devoted to understanding how ACEs lead to self-medication behaviors (smoking, drinking, drug use) and physiological dysregulation.