Galway Bay fm newsroom - A study being undertaken at NUI Galway is seeking to assess how childhood experiences impact adult well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It's seeking one thousand participants to explore adult coping mechanisms over the past year.
Researchers say this disconcerting time may be particularly difficult for people who have experienced adverse childhood events.
They say these events often cause people to develop an over-active fear system that is set at a higher resting level than others, which may have never switched off during childhood.
The study is particularly interested in exploring adult wellbeing and outcomes of those who have experienced emotional abuse during childhood.
Researchers say two important aspects are a person's ability to be gentle or compassionate with themselves rather than judgemental and self-attacking, as well as helping people to manage any feelings of guilt or shame, commonly experienced by those with a history of adverse childhood events.
They hope the study will help deliver a better understanding of how to support recovery during periods of heightened distress and disconnection, and inform the development of adapted forms of therapeutic treatments.
The study being undertaken at NUI Galway is now seeking one thousand participants and has advised that all contributions will be anonymous.
