THE IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ADULTHOOD USING YOUNG ADULTS IN UNIVERSITY OF BENIN.

ABSTRACT

The study was to ascertain the impact of childhood trauma in the growth and development of adulthood using young adults in University of Benin. To achieve the purpose of the study, five research questions were raised and answered to guide the study and literature of other researchers were reviewed. Research shows that childhood trauma increases the risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder. Interventions and treatment approaches for childhood trauma include Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), which uses cognitive and behavioral techniques to promote healing and recovery. Five (5) research questions were raised and literature of other researchers were reviewed. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design, data was collected through the aid of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was structured according to the research questions and distributed to sample population of 188 respondents. The findings of the study revealed that respondents had experienced violent incidents, such as physical fights, in their home or community during their childhood and the traumatic events experienced by the respondents during childhood did not have a significant impact on them. There is no relationship between the medical health issues experienced by the respondents and childhood trauma. The findings also revealed that there is a relationship with the inability of the respondents to trust other people, difficulty in the respondents expressing emotions and setting boundaries; and the traumatic events experienced during childhood and the awareness of the coping / healing process of childhood trauma by the respondents. It was recommended that implementation of interventions such as community-based program aimed at addressing the root causes of violence in homes and communities, awareness should be created, in order to reduce stigma surrounding mental health issues so as to encourage individuals to seek help if needed cause some individuals may exhibit varying responses to trauma. Also, traumainformed care principles should be integrated into medical settings in order to help better healthcare providers in identifying and addressing underlying trauma-related factors contributing to health issues. There should be provision of workshops, parent education sessions, and support groups to help families understand the impact of trauma on children's behavior and academic performance, strengthen parent-child relationships, and learn effective parenting strategies for supporting their children's emotional well-being by schools and NGOs. And also provision of accessible resources and support networks for individuals seeking to address their trauma.