I am wondering if anyone here, esp anyone who is a psychologist or related professional, has any comments with regard to the validity of using ACE (adverse childhood experiences) scores to assist in diagnoses and therapeutic efforts? My own therapist has encouraged me to read about them, and I have done so but would value additional input.
ACE is really too broad to be a very useful construct. The field has moved toward a more nuanced understanding of different types of early adversity, rather than lumping them all together. In particular, there are strong differences between the consequences of deprivation vs. threat.
See e.g.,
Sheridan, M. A. & McLaughlin, K. A. (2014). Dimensions of early experience and neural development: deprivation and threat. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18(11), 580–585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2014.09.001