Disparities in Trauma-Informed Care
Written by Bethany Kavalakatt. Last updated 09/2023
Taken from: https://hycaz.org/trauma-informed-care/
TLDR: Trauma-informed care strives to enhance the well-being of individuals impacted by trauma. By involving patients, clinicians, and organizations, it establishes a secure environment to foster improved outcomes for those seeking healing. Customized trauma-informed care holds particular significance for various demographics, including children and racial minority communities, given that their encounters with trauma may carry elevated potential risks for their future health. Implementing suitable adjustments in communication and surroundings can pave the way for heightened patient satisfaction.
What is Trauma Informed Care?
Trauma Informed Care aims to achieve the following objectives:
Acknowledge the extensive influence of trauma and comprehend avenues for healing.
Identify indications and manifestations of trauma in individuals, families, and personnel.
Incorporate awareness about trauma into regulations and protocols.
Proactively prevent the recurrence of traumatic experiences.
The fundamental tenets of trauma-informed care encompass safety, reliability, peer companionship, cooperation, empowerment, bias-free inclusiveness, and responsiveness.
How are different populations affected?
Community violence exposure in children has shown to increase the risk of PTSD, behavioral problems, as well as obesity and asthma. Young adults with adverse childhood experiences have a high risk of getting chronic disease earlier than others
Cultural elements have the capacity to shape the biopsychosocial encounter with trauma and the resulting stress reactions. Cultural aspects hold significance in determining an individual's susceptibility to traumatic stress, how they undergo and manifest it, and how they react to trauma-related interventions
What is part of the solution?
What is part of the solution?
Practitioners understanding the effects of trauma on individuals.
Learn the long term effects of traumatic effects
Learn how both physical and mental health are affected
Learn more about the culture including race, beliefs, faith, socioeconomic status, region, etc. and how trauma is seen through a patient’s cultural lens
Increase screening for trauma targeting different populations that are known to have high risk.
Take time to listen to patients and their stories.
Build relationships with patients to foster a safe space to be transparent
Emphasize their concerns and answer their questions appropriately
Respect cultural background and opinions
Make changes to clinical setting to create a safer environment for patients to avoid potential triggers for trauma.
Noise level, lighting, signage, etc.
Recommended Reading Resources:
Sources:
Sonu, S., Post, S., & Feinglass, J. (2019). Adverse childhood experiences and the onset of chronic disease in young adulthood. Preventive medicine, 123, 163–170. https://doi-org.lecomlrc.lecom.edu/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.03.032
Marsella, A. J., Friedman, M. J., Gerrity, E. T., & Scurfield, R. M. (1996). Ethnocultural aspects of posttraumatic stress disorder: Issues, research, and clinical applications. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
