Childhood Trauma Test — Free Adult Impact of Childhood Adversity Assessment
How has your childhood affected you? Test the pattern in 3 minutes. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Important safety information
The CHILDAFF includes a question about thoughts of self-harm (question 9). If you have had any such thoughts recently, please reach out for support before or instead of taking this assessment — you do not need to take a test to deserve help.
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Adult impact of childhood adversity
Documented adult impacts (well-established since Felitti & Anda's ACE Study, 1998):
- Elevated risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD, Complex PTSD
- Substance use disorders
- BPD features
- Eating disorders
- Chronic health conditions (cardiovascular, autoimmune, metabolic)
- Relational difficulty
- Sleep problems
- Shorter lifespan (in high-ACE samples)
Not deterministic — many adults recover well. Protective factors include stable adult relationships, therapy, meaningful work, and self-compassion practice.
CHILDAFF vs ACE
ACE Score counts categories of childhood adversity you experienced (0-10). Snapshot of what happened.
CHILDAFF measures ongoing adult IMPACT — how those experiences continue to affect you across relationships, self-concept, emotion regulation, and physical health. Snapshot of what's still showing up.
Both useful. ACE for exposure; CHILDAFF for impact.
Post-traumatic growth
Not all adults with childhood trauma experience only adverse outcomes. Post-traumatic growth — meaning-making, resilience, deep empathy, wisdom — is well-documented. Trauma changes people; sometimes the change includes strength alongside vulnerability.
Treatments backed by evidence
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) — Strong RCT evidence for adult PTSD and complex trauma. 8-phase structured protocol.
TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused CBT) — Standard trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Somatic Experiencing — Body-focused approach. Growing evidence.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) — For toxic shame and self-criticism patterns.
Schema Therapy — For childhood-adversity-related schemas manifesting in adult life.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) — Increasingly used for complex trauma.
When to see a specialist
- Childhood trauma affecting current relationships, wellbeing, or self-concept
- Intrusive memories, avoidance, or hyperarousal
- Depression, anxiety, or self-defeating behaviour unresponsive to standard treatment
- Toxic shame as chronic pattern
- Difficulty with intimate relationships tied to family-of-origin
- Physical symptoms potentially trauma-linked
Mindtalk's trauma-focused clinicians (EMDR-trained, TF-CBT-trained, Somatic Experiencing) work across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, and online for anywhere in India.
After the Childhood Trauma Test
- Take ACE Test — count of childhood adversity categories.
- Take ITQ — screens current PTSD and Complex PTSD symptoms.
- Take Toxic Shame Test if shame is a chronic pattern.
- Screen depression + anxiety. PHQ-9 and GAD-7.
- Book a trauma-focused specialist. Mindtalk's trauma clinicians.
Related reading
- ACE Test
- ITQ trauma screener
- Trauma & PTSD hub
- Trauma Self-Insight hub
- Attachment Style Test — often shaped by childhood
- Mindtalk's trauma-focused clinicians across India
How to take the CHILDAFF
- 1
Open the Childhood Trauma Test in the Mindtalk app
Tap "Take the Childhood Trauma Test" to open CHILDAFF.
- 2
Answer items about childhood and adult impact
For each item, describe your experience honestly.
- 3
Get your impact profile
Receive your profile with recovery pathway recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does childhood trauma affect adults?
- Documented adult impacts of childhood adversity: elevated risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD, Complex PTSD, substance use disorders, BPD features, eating disorders, chronic health conditions (cardiovascular, autoimmune, metabolic), relational difficulty, sleep problems, and even shorter lifespan. Not deterministic — many adults recover well. But the effect is real and treatable.
- CHILDAFF vs ACE — how are they different?
- ACE Score counts the categories of childhood adversity you experienced (0-10). CHILDAFF measures the ongoing IMPACT — how those experiences continue to affect your adult life across relationships, self-concept, emotion regulation, and physical health. Both are useful. ACE tells you what happened; CHILDAFF tells you how it's still showing up.
- Is childhood trauma treatable in adulthood?
- Yes — well documented. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused CBT), Somatic Experiencing, and Compassion-Focused Therapy all have strong RCT evidence for adult recovery from childhood trauma. Recovery is real and lasting for most people who engage. The older narrative that "you just have to live with it" is outdated.
- What about Complex PTSD?
- Complex PTSD (CPTSD) — added to ICD-11 in 2018 — is the diagnosis specifically for chronic, repeated trauma (often childhood abuse or ongoing adversity). It includes the three core PTSD clusters PLUS three "disturbances in self-organisation" (affect dysregulation, negative self-concept, disturbed relationships). If your childhood trauma test suggests significant impact, take the [ITQ](/assessments/itq) which screens for both PTSD and CPTSD.
- When should I see a specialist?
- If childhood trauma is affecting current relationships, wellbeing, or self-concept. If intrusive memories, avoidance, or hyperarousal are present. If depression, anxiety, or self-defeating behaviour has been unresponsive to standard treatment (undetected trauma is a common reason). Mindtalk's trauma-focused clinicians work across India.
Need a clinician's read on your results?
A high score is a signal, not a diagnosis. Mindtalk's psychiatrists and clinical psychologists can interpret your results and recommend next steps — same-day appointments available.