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Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are commonly observed in the general population and often have lasting neurological and physiological effects. Previous studies have found links between exposure to ACEs, headaches, and functional difficulties in adults. However, little is known about the mechanisms through which exposure to ACEs is associated with headaches among children. Objective To examine the association between exposure to ACEs and headaches in children, and whether functional difficulties mediate this association. Methods Data for this cross‐sectional secondary analysis study came from the 2017–2018 National Survey of Children's Health. The sample analyzed in this study was 40,953 children who were between ages 3 and 17 years. We adjusted for the complexity of the sampling design and used structural equation modeling to examine the mediating effect of functional difficulties in the association between exposure to ACEs and headaches. Results Based on parent reports, we found that 4.1% (1697/40,953) of the children reported frequent or severe headaches, and 9.5% (3906/40,953) were exposed to three or more ACEs. About one in four children (23.4%; 9601/40,953) had at least one functional difficulty. The results show that exposure to ACEs was directly positively associated with functional difficulties (β = 0.16, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.15–0.17), and functional difficulties were in turn positively associated with headaches (β = 0.17, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.12–0.22). The Sobel test of indirect effect showed that functional difficulties partially mediated the association between exposure to ACEs and headaches (β = 0.027, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.022–0.029). Also, older children and children with brain injury were more likely to report experiencing headaches. Conclusions The findings from this study suggest an association between exposure to ACEs and headaches among children, and functional difficulties partially mediate this association.

Since March 2020, families across the U.S. have faced challenges due to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its subsequent restrictions. Prior literature has linked family stress to negative outcomes, such as parent and child mental health, increased risk of child maltreatment, and overall well-being, as well as protective factors that may help families navigate and respond to stressors. Furthermore, parental history of trauma, such as exposure to adversity in one’s own childhood, has been linked to stress and resilience. Although some experts have voiced concern over the impact of COVID-19 on family well-being, few studies have been conducted thus far. This study utilized N = 523 responses from an online survey that was administered between May and June 2020 to gauge family stress and resilience among parents of children ages zero-to-five during the pandemic. There was a negative relationship between ACE score and parental resilience among this sample. Furthermore, frequency of childcare was positively linked to protective factors and resilience, while childcare barriers were negatively linked to resilience. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed, with a particular focus on the role of childcare and school openings during the pandemic.

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Given the still emerging evidence base about the effectiveness of practices, such as mindfulness, somatics, and integrative body-mind-spirit social work, there is a need to know more about the impacts that training in such areas can have on social workers and their professional work. This mixed-methods article reports on a pilot study that explored practitioners’ perceptions regarding the impact of learning holistic engagement practice (HEP) skills on their service delivery and well-being. The research inquires into the perceptions of social workers who received the training, particularly in relation to their quality of presence and the therapeutic relationship; HEP as a form of self-care and a facilitator of compassion satisfaction; the impact it has on social work practice and settings; and the facilitators and barriers to using holistic engagement. Implications from the findings focus on the need for additional research, training, organizational change, and communities of practice to facilitate changes that could promote more effective social work practice, greater levels of empathy, and compassion satisfaction.