Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach in Pediatric Health Care Networks

Implementation outcomes of a digital, trauma-informed care, educational intervention targeting health professionals in a paediatric burns setting: A mixed methods process evaluation

Trauma-informed care practices are associated with a culture of safety following traumatic experiences, including medical trauma. An interactive, web-based training package ('Responsive CARE') was developed for voluntary uptake by paediatric burns health professionals to increase staff knowledge about trauma-informed practice. This paper reports on a mixed methods process evaluation conducted alongside a preliminary effectiveness study of 'Responsive CARE'. The process evaluation was conducted using The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and a logic model, to examine feasibility of both the intervention and implementation strategy. Health practitioners (including senior managers) delivering care to children and caregivers attending an outpatient burns service were eligible to enrol in 'Responsive CARE'. Qualitative interview data and quantitative metadata were used to evaluate the implementation outcomes (adoption, acceptability, fidelity, feasibility and preliminary effectiveness). Children and caregivers attending an outpatient service for change of burn wound dressing or burn scar management during the 3-month control or 3-month intervention period were eligible to enrol in the effectiveness study. The impact on child pain and distress, as well as cost, was investigated using a pretest-posttest design. Thirteen (from anticipated 50 enrolled) health professionals (all female) with mean 10 years (SD=11) of experience with paediatric burns hospital-based outpatient care completed an average of 65% (range 36% to 88%) of available content. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were completed with health practitioners (21 female) and with 14 caregivers (11 female). Four themes were identified as influencing feasibility and acceptability of the intervention: 1) Keeping a trauma-informed lens; 2) Ways of incorporating trauma-informed care; 3) Working within system constraints; and 4) Being trauma-informed. Preliminary effectiveness data included 177 participants (median age 2 years, and median total body surface area burn 1%). Causal assumptions within the logic model were unable to be fully tested, secondary to lower-than-expected adoption and fidelity. We found no significant difference for pain, distress and per-patient hospital care costs between groups (pre- and post-intervention). Future implementation strategies should include organizational support to keep a trauma-informed lens and to incorporate trauma-informed principles within a medical model of care. Despite efforts to co-design a staff education intervention and implementation approach focused on stakeholder engagement, adaptations are indicated to both the intervention and implementation strategies to promote uptake highlighting the complexity of changing clinician behaviours.

Acute response to the October 7th hostage release: rapid development and evaluation of the novel ReSPOND protocol implementation within a children's hospital

BACKGROUND

The decision to allocate hospitals for the initial reception of hostages abducted on the October 7th Hamas attack introduced an array of unprecedented challenges. These challenges stemmed from a paucity of existing literature and protocols, lack of information regarding captivity conditions, and variability in hostage characteristics and circumstances.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the rapid development, implementation and evaluation of the Hostage-ReSPOND protocol, a comprehensive trauma-informed procedure for the care of hostages, including young children, their caregivers and families, immediately following their release from prolonged captivity.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary expert focus group conducted a comprehensive literature review to develop the ReSPOND protocol, consisting of: Readiness of teams via multifaceted trainings, utilizing live simulations and video debriefings; Specialized professional teams experienced in providing holistic trauma-informed care; Personalized care tailored to individualized and developmentally-informed needs; Optimal safety rooted in creating a secure environment and trauma-informed response to young children, adolescents, caregivers and families; and Navigating Discharge, through coordination with community-based care systems.

RESULTS

A designated facility at the Children's hospital was carefully prepared for receiving 29 hostages, aged 3.9-80 years, 28% under the age of 18. Implementation of the ReSPOND protocol, which prioritized holistic psychosocial interventions above urgent medical care, proved feasible and effective in managing the diverse and complex needs of returnees as per provider report. Finally, systemic assessment of returnee's immediate and long-term mental health needs proved highly challenging.

CONCLUSIONS

There is currently no literature addressing the response to released hostages, especially those involving infants, young children and families within a children's hospital facility. This study has the potential to fill a crucial gap in knowledge by introducing a novel protocol which could offer valuable insights for public health organizations tasked with providing acute care to diverse individuals and families experiencing extreme, multi-layered mass traumatization.

Improving attitudes toward trauma-informed care in the neonatal intensive care unit through comprehensive multi-disciplinary education

OBJECTIVE

This study measured staff understanding and integration of trauma-informed care following comprehensive education.

STUDY DESIGN

This mixed method design used the validated Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC) scale and open-ended survey questions via REDCap optional surveys. Trauma-informed care education was made available to staff members in a level IV NICU. Pre- and post-intervention ARTIC scores were compared and post-intervention REDCap surveys were analyzed.

RESULT

There were 245 multi-disciplinary NICU team members who completed the ARTIC survey before and/or after the educational intervention; and 764 REDCap surveys were completed throughout the study time. ARTIC scores increased from pre- to post-training both for participants with data at both time points (0.5 SD mean increase) and among those with data at only one time point (0.4 SD mean increase). Content analysis of the REDCap survey corroborated the ARTIC results.

CONCLUSION

System-wide trauma-informed education can achieve measurable effect in a NICU setting.

Equity, inclusion and cultural humility: contemporizing the neonatal intensive care unit family-centered care model

Existing NICU family centered care models lack the key elements of equity, inclusion and cultural humility. These models were conceived to support families during the stressful life event of an infant's NICU admission. Their development, however, occurred prior to recognition of the medical field's systematic shortcomings in providing equitable care and their impact on outcome disparities for marginalized communities; thus, they do not include cultural or equitable healthcare considerations. Given the significant neonatal care inequities for marginalized groups, incorporating the experience of these patients in a targeted manner into family centered care frameworks is of critical importance to ensure culturally humble and thus more just and equitable treatment. Here, we review past approaches to NICU family centered care and propose a novel, updated framework which integrates culturally humble care into the NICU family centered care framework.

The effect of drama on psychosocial problems and emotional states of hospitalized children with cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Hospitalization is a traumatic experience for children. Especially in the case of childhood cancers that require long-term hospitalization, children need psychosocial support. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of drama in reducing psychosocial problems in hospitalized paediatric children diagnosed with cancer.

METHODS

The study used a mixed method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods with a single group. Drama sessions prepared according to the Tasks and Skills Model were used to support their psychosocial conditions. The Facial Expression Form, The Assessment Scale for Psychosocial Symptoms in Hospitalized Children, and the Drawing and Writing Technique were used before and after the drama sessions.

RESULTS

This study differs from others in its use of drama intervention to reduce psychosocial problems in children undergoing cancer treatment. As a result of the study, it was found that there was a decrease in anxiety, hopelessness, anger-aggression and communication difficulties among psychosocial problems and a change in mood towards feeling happy. The study suggests that drama sessions were effective in relieving emotional distress in paediatric cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

The study suggests that drama sessions were effective in relieving emotional distress in paediatric cancer patients.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Applying drama to children undergoing long-term hospital treatment can help alleviate psychosocial problems by reducing stress, emotional suppression, and compensating for trauma.

Trauma-Informed Healthcare Leadership? Evidence and opportunities from interviews with leaders during COVID-19

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 impacted the mental health of healthcare workers, who endured pressures as they provided care during a prolonged crisis. We aimed to explore whether and how a Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) approach was reflected in qualitative perspectives from healthcare leaders of their experience during COVID-19 (2020-2021).

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews with healthcare leaders from four institutions were conducted. Data analysis consisted of four stages informed by interpretative phenomenological analysis: 1) deductive coding using TIC assumptions, 2) inductive thematic analysis of coded excerpts, 3) keyword-in-context coding of full transcripts for 6 TIC principles with integration into prior inductive themes, and 4) interpretation of themes through 6 TIC principles (safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration and mutuality; empowerment, voice, and choice; and awareness of cultural, historical, and gender issues).

RESULTS

The actions of leaders (n = 28) that were reported as successful and supportive responses to the COVID-19 pandemic or else missed opportunities reflected core principles of Trauma-Informed Care. To promote safety, leaders reported affirmative efforts to protect staff by providing appropriate physical protection, and enhanced psychological safety by providing channels for communication about emotional well-being. To promote trustworthiness and transparency, leaders listened to their staff, shared current COVID-19 information, and increased frequency of meetings to disseminate accurate information. To promote mutual support, strategies included wellness check-ins, sharing uplifting stories, affirming common goals, articulating fears, and leading by example. Examples of empowerment included: making time and adjusting modalities for flexible communication; naming challenges outside of the hospital; and functioning as a channel for complaints. Reported missed opportunities included needing more dedicated time and space for healthcare employees to process emotions, failures in leadership managing their own anxiety, and needing better support for middle managers. Awareness of the TIC principle of cultural, historical, and gender issues was largely absent. Results informed the nascent Trauma-Informed Healthcare Leadership (TIHL) framework.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose the Trauma-Informed Healthcare Leadership framework as a useful schema for action and analysis. This approach yields recommendations for healthcare leaders including creating designated spaces for emotional processing, and establishing consistent check-ins that reference personal and professional well-being.

Trauma-Informed Care in Pediatric Physical Therapy as a Standard Precaution: The Time Is Here

In this special communication, an overview of the research on trauma, resilience, and action items for the pediatric physical therapist (PT) is addressed. The experiences of early childhood, positive and negative, impact overall development and well-being throughout the lifespan. Childhood trauma can include exposure to abuse, neglect, violence, racism, or medical procedures. These adverse childhood experiences are associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes that can extend into adulthood and can appear in the pediatric rehabilitative realm as caregivers who become labeled noncompliant. Trauma is common and impacts all children; however, some populations, such as children with disabilities, have greater risk for experiencing adversity. An individual's trauma history is not always visible, necessitating a standard approach. Pediatric PTs must take an intentional approach to address the detrimental effects of trauma on those we serve. Many organizations recommend adopting trauma-informed care as the standard of care for all populations.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Trauma-Informed Care Frameworks in Provider Education and the Care of Traumatized Patients

INTRODUCTION

Trauma-informed care (TIC) spans many different health care fields and is essential in promoting the well-being and recovery of traumatized individuals. This review aims to assess the efficacy of TIC frameworks in both educating providers and enhancing care for adult and pediatric patients.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Proquest, Cochrane, and Google Scholar to identify relevant articles up to September 28, 2023. Studies implementing TIC frameworks in health care settings as a provider education tool or in patient care were included. Studies were further categorized based on adult or pediatric patient populations and relevant outcomes were extracted.

RESULTS

A total of 36 articles were included in this review, evaluating over 7843 providers and patients. When implemented as a provider education tool, TIC frameworks significantly improved provider knowledge, confidence, awareness, and attitudes toward TIC (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001). Trauma screenings and assessments also increased (P < 0.001). When these frameworks were applied in adult patient care, there were positive effects across a multitude of settings, including women's health, intimate partner violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, and inpatient mental health. Findings included reduced depression and anxiety (P < 0.05), increased trauma disclosures (5%-30%), and enhanced mental and physical health (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This review underscores the multifaceted effectiveness of TIC frameworks, serving both as a valuable educational resource for providers and as a fundamental approach to patient care. Providers reported increased knowledge and comfort with core trauma principles. Patients were also found to derive benefits from these approaches in a variety of settings. These findings demonstrate the extensive applicability of TIC frameworks and highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding of their applications and long-term effects.

The effectiveness of web-based training for parents on post-traumatic stress disorder in children

Introduction

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after an injury such as accidents is common in children and can affect their overall physical and mental functioning and quality of life. Early intervention can have significant health benefits for children. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of web-based training for parents on post-traumatic stress disorder in children.

Method

This was a quasi-experimental study with intervention and control group. 110 parents of children aged 10-18 years with PTSD after a traumatic event were selected through available sampling and assigned to intervention and control groups. Data was collected by a researcher-made demographic questionnaire and the Child Revised Impact of Events Scale (CRIES-8). Parents in the intervention group received a 4-week training course through a researcher-designed website, but the control group received routine care by the clinical team, which the main focus of care and training was on the physical aspects of the disease, and no intervention was done for PTSD. Two weeks after the intervention, the level of child stress was measured and compared in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS V.22.

Results

The difference between the mean score of total traumatic stress and its subscales before intervention was not statistically significant (p = 0.23). But after intervention, the mean score of total traumatic stress and its subscales decreased in the intervention group and increased in the control group and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

E-learning parent training has the potential to support children with PTSD. This available and cost-effective procedure can be recommended to help children with PTSD and possibly increase recovery in these patients.

Skills Training for Family Medicine Residents to Attenuate the Impact of Childhood Trauma: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Toxic stress and trauma are prevalent in the pediatric population. The sequela can be significant, leading to disruptive behaviors in early childhood to chronic medical conditions in adulthood. Two factors that can mitigate negative outcomes of developmental traumatic stress include relational health care and healthy parental relationships. Family physicians are poised to play a significant role in both attenuating factors. Therefore, focused pediatric trauma-informed knowledge and skills training for family medicine residents is important.

METHODS

One family medicine residency program added a training module for residents, with two objectives: increase in-exam room trauma-informed interaction skills, and increase knowledge and skills for physicians to coach parents on strengthening the parent-child relationship. The training included didactics and skills training. Knowledge and skills were measured pre- and posttraining.

RESULTS

A total of 39 residents participated in the study over 3 years. The knowledge score increased by 4.49 points from pre- to posttraining. The number of trauma-informed interactional skills the residents demonstrated at posttraining had increased significantly. During the pilot, all participants moved from below mastery of skills to full mastery.

CONCLUSIONS

After being instructed in best practices in trauma-informed pediatric interactions, residents demonstrated an increased number of behaviors that cultivate pediatric relational health care. Residents demonstrated knowledge and skills gains that denoted their ability to interact with patients and coach parents in evidence-based ways that can mitigate the impact of childhood trauma exposure.

Characterizing Chronic Pain and Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer Community

BACKGROUND

Childhood adversity is associated with chronic pain in adulthood. Additionally, individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) report a greater prevalence of chronic pain and increased adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). While the LGTBQ+ community has a disproportionately high chronic disease burden, limited research has been conducted on the associations between chronic pain conditions or intensity and childhood adversity in this population.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, participants were 18 years or older, LGBTQ+ identifying, and reported chronic pain. Surveys were electronically distributed from August to November 2022 via LGBTQ+ organization email listservs and social media platforms. The survey included demographics and validated questionnaires measuring chronic pain (The Chronic Pain Questionnaire) and childhood adversity (ACE score). In analysis, ACE scores of 4 or more were defined as high.

RESULTS

Responses from 136 individuals (average age of 29 ± 7.4 years) were analyzed. The mean for participants' average pain rating in the last 6 months was 5.9 of 10. Participants' worst pain was rated at least a 7 of 10 for 80% of respondents. Half (47%) had high ACE scores, and high ACE scores were significantly associated with higher average pain scores (6.27 ± 1.79, mean difference = -2.22, P = .028, 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.2 to -0.0), and higher perceived current pain ratings (4.53 ± 2.16, mean difference = -2.78, P = .007, 95% CI, -1.9 to -0.3). Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) participants (n = 75) had higher ACE scores (3.91 ± 1.78) and current pain scores compared to cisgender individuals (3.9 ± 1.8 vs 3.0 ± 1.9, P = .009, 95% CI, 0.0-0.3). History of any sexual trauma was prevalent in 36.7% and was associated with chronic pain located in the pelvic region (P = .016, effect size estimate 0.21). Specific histories of forced sexual and touch encounters were associated with a specific diagnosis of fibromyalgia (P = .008, effect size estimate 0.31 and P = .037, effect size estimate 0.31, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood adversity and chronic pain's dose-dependent relationship among our LGBTQ+ sample indicates a need to explore trauma's role in perceived pain. Given sexual trauma's association with pain location and diagnosis, type of trauma may also be crucial in understanding chronic pain development. Research into the relationships between childhood adversity, sexuality, gender identity, and chronic pain could improve chronic pain prevention and management for the LGBTQ+ community.

Trauma-Informed Care Training in U.S. and Canadian Ob/Gyn Residencies

This is a cross-sectional study investigating the prevalence and nature of trauma-informed care (TIC) training in obstetrics and gynecology residency programs. In our sample, 20% of programs had annual TIC training, 53% had less than annual training, and 27% had no training at all. Only 25.3% of respondents were satisfied with their current training in interpersonal trauma and TIC. A lack of facilitators to conduct such training was the primary barrier to implementing TIC. Significant opportunity exists to improve TIC education for Ob/Gyn trainees.

Utilizing screening as a trauma-responsive approach in pediatric health care settings

Given the widespread impact of child trauma, it is important that child- and family-serving systems adopt trauma-informed care. Because of their integral relationships with families, pediatricians and family medicine physicians play critical roles in disrupting negative societal and developmental cascades for trauma-exposed youth through their potential for early identification and intervention. When implemented alongside organization-wide trauma-informed care practices, trauma screening is one concrete trauma-informed care practice that has shown both feasibility and positive impacts on pediatric healthcare. In support of this practice, the Care Process Model for Pediatric Traumatic Stress (CPM-PTS) helps pediatric care providers to identify and respond to children and adolescents who may need trauma-focused supports. In this paper we discuss the importance of pediatric physicians adopting trauma-informed care and how evidence-based screening practices in pediatric settings is a trauma-responsive approach with great potential for meeting unmet needs among trauma-exposed children and families.

Promoting Safe and Supportive Health Care Spaces for Youth Experiencing Racism

OBJECTIVE

This qualitative study applies a community-based participatory research approach to elicit formative data on pediatric patient experiences of racism in the health care setting and to explore clinic-based opportunities for supporting pediatric patients experiencing racism.

METHODS

The study is situated within the outpatient practice of a large tertiary academic medical center in a midsize Midwestern city. Community partners were involved in all aspects of the research, including research protocol design, recruitment, data analysis, community dissemination, and manuscript preparation. Participants were youth between 11 and 18 years, in middle or high school, self-identifying as a person of color, Latinx or Indigenous who answered yes to the question "have you ever experienced race-related prejudice and discrimination?" Parent/guardians of youth meeting inclusion criteria participated in separate focus groups. Data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach.

RESULTS

Major findings were divided into 2 categories: 1) racism-related experiences in the health care setting; and 2) patient and parent/guardian recommendations to support pediatric patients experiencing racism. Among health care setting experiences, primary emerging themes included racism experienced in the health care setting, patient-clinician communication around racism, patient-clinician concordance, and high-quality clinical care. Recommendations were presented within the 4 domains of racism: intrapersonal, interpersonal, structural, and institutional.

CONCLUSIONS

Racism experiences worsen child biological, psychological, and behavioral functioning, yet research is lacking on how health care professionals may best support pediatric patients experiencing racism. Study findings suggest opportunities for providing safer and more supportive health care spaces for youth experiencing racism.

Emergency department clinicians' views on implementing psychosocial care following acute paediatric injury: a qualitative study

Introduction: The early post-trauma period is a key time to provide psychological support to acutely injured children. This is often when they present to emergency departments (EDs) with their families. However, there is limited understanding of the feasibility of implementing psychological support for children and their families in EDs. The aim of this study was to explore UK and Irish ED clinicians' perspectives on developing and implementing psychosocial care which educates families on their children's post-trauma psychological recovery.Methods: Semi-structured individual and group interviews were conducted with 24 UK and Irish ED clinicians recruited via a paediatric emergency research network.Results: Clinicians expressed that there is value in offering psychological support for injured children and their families; however, there are barriers which can prevent this from being effectively implemented. Namely, the prioritisation of physical health, time constraints, understaffing, and a lack of training. Therefore, a potential intervention would need to be brief and accessible, and all staff should be empowered to deliver it to all families.Conclusion: Overall, participants' views are consistent with trauma-informed approaches where a psychosocial intervention should be able to be implemented into the existing ED system and culture. These findings can inform implementation strategies and intervention development to facilitate the development and delivery of an accessible digital intervention for acutely injured children and their families.

Duty to Family: Ethical Considerations in the Resuscitation Bay

AbstractTo examine the ethical duty to patients and families in the setting of the resuscitation bay, we address a case with a focus on providing optimal care and communication to family members. We present a case of nonsurvivable traumatic injury in a minor, focusing on how allowing family more time at the bedside impacts the quality of death and what duty exists to maintain an emotionally optimal environment for family grieving and acceptance. Our analysis proposes tenets for patient and family-centric care that, in alignment with trauma-informed care principles, optimize the long-term well-being of the family, namely valuing family desires and sensitivity to location.

Assessment of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Determinants of Health: A Survey of Practices in Pediatric Weight Management Programs

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and social determinants of health (SDoH) are associated with increased incidence of pediatric obesity. Recent literature highlights an imperative need to assess ACEs and SDoH among youth and families with obesity to identify those individuals requiring targeted interventions. The primary objective of the present study was to examine the frequency, methodology, and barriers in evaluation of ACEs and SDoH within pediatric weight management programs (PWMPs). Methods: Invitations were e-mailed to a comprehensive directory of 92 PWMPs in the United States with a link to complete an electronic survey. Results: Forty-one PWMPs from 26 states completed the survey. Assessment of one or more ACEs and SDoH was common and typically took place during the initial patient visit by the psychologist or medical practitioner through unstructured conversations. Reported barriers to assessment included lack of time to assess and to follow-up, lack of clinic protocols, and inadequate referral resources. Programs offering bariatric surgery and those with embedded mental health clinicians reported fewer barriers to ACEs/SDoH referral resources, while family-based and healthy lifestyle-focused programs perceived more barriers related to insufficient support staff and time to follow-up with families. Conclusions: Most PWMPs assess a subset of ACEs and SDoH; however, approaches to assessment vary, are often unstructured, and several barriers remain to optimizing assessment and follow-up. Future research should evaluate standardized ACEs/SDoH assessment protocols, ideal workflow, and their impact on obesity treatment and related health outcomes.

Trauma-informed care in the emergency department: concepts and recommendations for integrating practices into emergency medicine

The experience of psychological trauma is common and has become even more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic for both health care workers and the general population [1-3]. Traumatic experiences can have varied and lasting physical and mental health effects on patients, beyond what we are privy to in the acute environment of the emergency department. The effects of these prior traumatic experiences can be exacerbated by interaction with the healthcare system, and yet emergency medicine physicians have no standardized methods for working with patients in a trauma-informed way. The systematic implementation of trauma-informed care (TIC) practice requires the cooperation of multiple domains within the health care system, including focus on the physical environment, direct care, and administrative practices. Here we provide recommendations specific to emergency medicine for the development and implementation of TIC in the regular patient-clinician interaction, situated within the context of the TIC framework as outlined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) [4].

The Epidemiology of Violence Exposure in Children

Exposure to violence remains a significant issue for children in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many of these exposures. Violence unequally impacts children of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Pediatricians can and must continue to advocate and intervene to decrease pediatric violence exposure and its effects.

Violence Exposure and Trauma-Informed Care

Addressing violence in pediatrics requires a working knowledge of trauma-informed care (TIC). TIC weaves together our current understanding of evolution, child development, and human physiology and how these explain common childhood responses to traumatic events. In this article, we describe our current approach to treating childhood trauma in the context of violence. Ultimately, TIC relies on the pediatrician's ability to keep trauma high on their differential diagnosis. TIC leverages a child's natural strengths and biologic processes by (1) scaffolding the patient's relationships to safe, stable, and nurturing adults and (2) strengthening core resilience skills while addressing trauma symptoms when necessary.

Parental Adverse Childhood Experiences and Post-PICU Stress in Children and Parents

OBJECTIVES

Hospitalization in a PICU is a stressful experience for children and their parents, with many experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after discharge. Risk factors may include preillness traumatic events, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). We sought to assess the feasibility of screening ACEs in parents of children admitted to a PICU, their prevalence, and their association with post-PICU PTSD symptoms in them and their children.

DESIGN

Single-center prospective observational study.

SETTING

Urban academic children's hospital from January to December 2021.

PATIENTS

One hundred forty-five children (2-18 yr old, admitted ≥ 2 d) and their parents.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Data on parental demographics, ACEs, coping skills, and PICU environmental stressors, as well as patient clinical data, were collected. One month after PICU discharge, parents completed inventories assessing PTSD symptoms in them and their children. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to explore associations of ACEs with post-PICU PTSD. Of 145 enrolled parents, 95% completed the ACE questionnaire, 58% of whom reported greater than or equal to 1 ACE, and 14% had substantial (≥ 4) ACEs. Parent and patient follow-up was 79% and 70%, respectively. Sixteen percent of parents had provisional PTSD. Regression analysis showed parents with greater than or equal to 4 ACEs had 10 times greater odds of parental PTSD, compared to parents with less than 4 ACEs, (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 10.2; 95% CI, 1.03-100.9; p = 0.047). Fifty-six percent of patients screened at risk for PTSD. There was no association between substantial parental ACEs and patients' risk for PTSD (aOR = 3.5 [95% CI, 0.56-21.31]; p = 0.18).

CONCLUSIONS

ACEs were common among parents of critically ill children. Having substantial parental ACEs was associated with provisional parental PTSD after their child's PICU admission, but not with PTSD in the children. Family-centered care that seeks to mitigate post-PICU stress should be mindful of the potential relevance of parental ACEs.

Does Trauma-Informed Care Have a Place in Audiology? A Review and Practical Suggestions

BACKGROUND

Trauma from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and serious traumatic events in adulthood is a significantly prevalent concern for public-health-hearing healthcare professionals. The pediatric and geriatric populations that audiologists often work with have been shown to be at an increased risk of experiencing traumatic events. Childhood and adult trauma can significantly impact the hearing and vestibular testing and treatment of these patients.

METHODS

This narrative review article discusses trauma-informed care (TIC) strategies that audiologists can use to recognize and respond to trauma in patients and prevent retraumatizing patients during their encounters in audiology clinics.

CONCLUSIONS

This article will provide an overview of TIC and direct the reader to resources for their continued learning. Practical guidance on implementing trauma-informed practices in clinical audiology are also provided.

Universal and Trauma-Specific Care Suggestions for Pediatric Primary Care Settings

Trauma exposure and other adverse life events are common experiences among youth and present long-standing mental and physical health consequences. Given the ongoing lack of sufficient mental health services, pediatricians play a critical role in supporting trauma-exposed youth. We propose both universal precaution and trauma-specific strategies for pediatric primary care settings. Universal interventions include recommendations to make health care systems more trauma-informed, reduce trauma or re-traumatization in the medical setting, eliminate potential bias, and focus on a strengths-based approach to support diverse youth and families. Trauma-specific strategies include screening for trauma-related symptomatology and risk stratification to link youth to appropriate levels of care. Specific assessment tools, resources, and materials are provided. [Pediatr Ann. 2023;52(11):e418-e421.].

Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress and Trauma-Informed Care in Pediatric Chronic Illness: A Healthcare Provider Survey

OBJECTIVE

To inform approaches to pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS) by exploring providers' (1) perception of the impact of PMTS on the medical care of patients with pediatric-onset chronic illnesses, (2) self-reported competencies and practices of PMTS prevention, treatment, and counseling, and (3) perception of the barriers influencing the adoption of these practices.

STUDY DESIGN

A convenience sample of multidisciplinary healthcare providers was recruited through a multimodal recruitment strategy to participate in an electronic survey adapted from the Trauma-Informed Care Provider Survey.

RESULTS

Among participants (n = 304), 99% agreed that PMTS impacts patient health. Participants report altering medical care plans due to PMTS, including deferring or stopping treatments (n = 98 [32%]) and changing medication regimens (n = 88 [29%]). Sixty-eight percent (n = 208) report negative impact of PMTS on patient implementation of medical care plans, including medication nonadherence (n = 153 [50%]) and missed appointments (n = 119 [39%]). Although participants agreed it is their job to decrease patient stress (n = 292 [96%]) and perform PMTS assessments (n = 268 [88%]), few practiced PMTS-focused trauma informed care. Systems-level barriers to practice included insufficient training, absent clinical workflows, and lack of access to mental health experts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings have helped inform a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between PMTS and health outcomes. Systems-level opportunities to optimize PMTS-focused trauma-informed care include (1) dissemination of provider training, (2) integrated workflows for PMTS mitigation, and (3) enhanced accessibility to mental health providers. Further work is required to determine if these interventions can improve health outcomes in patients with pediatric-onset chronic illnesses.

Primary Care Providers' Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practice of Trauma-Informed Care in a Public Health Care Setting

Despite serving patients with especially high rates of trauma exposure and related sequelae, many primary care providers do not receive specialized training in the provision of trauma-informed care (TIC). This study sought to document primary care providers' baseline rates of TIC training and their knowledge, perceptions, and practice of TIC at a large, urban public hospital in the Southeastern United States. Participants (n = 67; 68.7% women; 44.8% white; Mage = 36.7 years, standard deviation [SD]age = 9.8 years) completed an online self-report survey on their TIC training status, trauma-related knowledge, perceptions, and practices, as well as burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Less than half of participants (43.3%) endorsed TIC training exposure. Participants generally had adequate levels of trauma-related knowledge (76.5% of items correct) and favorable perceptions of TIC (endorsed 89.7% of TIC-supportive statements). Most participants (86.6%) endorsed recently using trauma-informed practices, but only 47.8% reported routinely screening for trauma-related disorders. Participants who reported receiving prior TIC training scored better on knowledge items and endorsed recently using more trauma-informed practices than those who did not have training exposure. TIC training status' associations with current screening practices and perceptions of TIC were trending toward significance. TIC training status was not related to burnout, and trained participants reported greater secondary traumatic stress than those without training exposure. Results point to system-wide TIC training as a well-received, translational strategy that can enhance the trauma-informed nature of primary care provision.

Physician Perspectives on Building Trust with Patients

Prior research has documented how important it is to patients to be able to trust their physicians. In this essay, we introduce physician perspectives on the importance of earning patients' trust. We conducted twelve semistructured interviews in late 2022, eleven with physicians and one with a patient-experience expert. Physicians described earning patients' trust as crucial for working effectively with patients, with several saying that it was as important as having medical knowledge. Physicians also expressed that feeling a patient trusting them is professionally rewarding and fulfilling. To build trust with patients, physicians reported, they make the medical interaction all about the patient, express their belief in their patients, share their personal experiences, and use other strategies identified in previous literature: communicating effectively, being compassionate, and demonstrating competence. Physicians also reported experiencing challenges in building trust with patients, most often because of patients' lack of trust in other levels of the health care system and because of having inadequate time to spend with patients. Additionally, Black and Brown physicians described how patients' bias often blocks trust.

Caring for Hospitalized Children in Foster Care: Provider Training, Preparedness, and Practice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Children and youth in foster care (CYFC) have high rates of health care utilization, including inpatient care. The objective of this study was to explore the inpatient provider experience caring for CYFC.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews were conducted with inpatient pediatric providers from Mid-Atlantic hospitals. Interview questions focused on 3 domains: provider training and preparedness, practice challenges, and strategies to improve care for CYFC. Conventional content analysis was applied to interview transcripts.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight interviews were completed with providers from 6 hospitals, including 14 hospitalists, 1 advanced practice provider, 11 registered nurses, 10 social workers (SWs), and 2 case managers. Nearly all (90%) reported at least monthly interactions with CYFC. Themes related to training and preparedness to care for CYFC included: medical providers' lack of formal training, limited foster care knowledge, and feeling of preparedness contingent on access to SWs. Themes related to unique practice challenges included: identifying CYFC, obtaining consent, documenting foster care status, complex team communication, and navigating interpersonal stress. Participants' suggestions for improving their ability to care for CYFC included increasing SW capacity, expanding provider training, standardizing electronic medical record documentation and order sets, and improving team communication and information sharing.

CONCLUSIONS

There are unique medical, social, and legal aspects of caring for hospitalized CYFC; pediatric medical providers receive limited training on these topics and rely heavily on SWs to navigate associated practice challenges. Targeted educational and health information technology interventions are needed to help inpatient providers feel better prepared to effectively meet the needs of CYFC.

Patient- and Family-Centered Hospital Care-The Need for Structural Humility

This Viewpoint discusses communication between clinicians and caregivers of racial and ethnic minoritized groups.

Nursing students' views on trauma-informed pediatric nursing care and family-centered care

PURPOSE

We studied the views of nursing students on family-centered care (FCC) and their knowledge, opinions, self-rated competence, current practice, and perceived implementation barriers with regard to trauma-informed pediatric nursing care.

METHODS

This survey was a descriptive correlational study. The sample consisted of 261 nursing students, 3rd and 4th years, who had completed the Child Health and Diseases Nursing Course. The data were obtained using the "Student Information Form," "Family-Centered Care Attitude Scale," and "trauma-informed care (TIC) Provider Survey."

RESULTS

Nursing students were knowledgeable and held favorable opinions about TIC. The survey showed that students with higher levels and those with a hospitalization experience during childhood had higher scores regarding TIC. A positive relationship was found between the students' TIC to mean score and FCC attitude mean score.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing students are not competent to practice TIC, especially with pediatric patients. Therefore, they need to develop relevant skills for helping pediatric patients.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Efforts to improve nursing students' trauma-informed pediatric care should highlight specific skills related to helping pediatric patients manage emotional responses to difficult medical experiences. By integrating TIC into the baccalaureate curricula, nursing educators can provide the students with appropriate skills and facilities so that they can provide holistic and highly effective care to highly vulnerable patients.

Trauma-informed and family-centered paediatric resuscitation: Defining domains and practices

Aim

For paediatric patients and families, resuscitation can be an extremely stressful experience with significant medical and psychological consequences. Psychological sequelae may be reduced when healthcare teams apply patient- and family-centered care and trauma-informed care, yet there are few specific instructions for effective family-centered or trauma-informed behaviours that are observable and teachable. We aimed to develop a framework and tools to address this gap.

Methods

We reviewed relevant policy statements, guidelines, and research to define core domains of family-centered and trauma-informed care, and identified observable evidence-based practices in each domain. We refined this list of practices via review of provider/team behaviours in simulated paediatric resuscitation scenarios, then developed and piloted an observational checklist.

Results

Six domains were identified: (1) Sharing information with patient and family; (2) Promoting family involvement in care and decisions; (3) Addressing family needs and distress; (4) Addressing child distress; (5) Promoting effective emotional support for child; (6) Practicing developmental and cultural competence. A 71-item observational checklist assessing these domains was feasible for use during video review of paediatric resuscitation.

Conclusion

This framework can guide future research and provide tools for training and implementation efforts to improve patient outcomes through patient- and family-centered and trauma-informed care.

The role of community healthcare professionals in discussing sexual assault experiences during obstetrics and gynecological healthcare appointments

BACKGROUND

Nearly half of adult women in the US report experiencing sexual assault, with almost one-fifth reporting rape. For many sexual assault survivors, healthcare professionals are the first point of contact and disclosure. This study aimed to understand how healthcare professionals working in community settings perceived their role in discussing sexual violence experiences with women during obstetrical and gynecological healthcare appointments. The secondary purpose was to compare healthcare professionals' perspectives with the patients' to determine how sexual violence conversations should occur in these environments.

METHODS

Data were collected in two phases. Phase 1 consisted of 6 focus groups (Sept-Dec, 2019) with women aged 18-45 (n = 22) living in Indiana who sought community-based or private healthcare for women's reproductive healthcare needs. Phase 2 included 20 key-informant interviews with non-physician healthcare professionals (i.e., NP, RN, CNM, doula, pharmacist, chiropractor) living in Indiana (September 2019-May 2020) who provided community-based women's reproductive healthcare. Focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analyses. HyperRESEARCH assisted in data management and organization.

RESULTS

There were three resulting themes: (1) healthcare professionals' approaches to screening for a history of sexual violence varied depending on how they ask, what setting they work in, and type of professional asking; (2) healthcare experiences can compound traumatic experiences and create distrust with survivors; and (3) sexual violence impacts patient healthcare experiences through what services they seek, how professionals may interact with them, and what professionals they are willing to utilize.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings offered insight into actionable and practical strategies for enhancing sexual violence screening and discussions in community-based women's reproductive health settings. The findings offer strategies to address barriers and facilitators among community healthcare professionals and the people they serve. Incorporating healthcare professional and patient experiences and preferences for violence-related discussions during obstetrical and gynecological healthcare appointments can assist in violence prevention efforts, improve patient-professional rapport, and yield better health outcomes.

The Development of a Screening Tool for Childcare Professionals to Detect and Refer Infant and Toddler Maltreatment and Trauma: A Tale of Four Countries

Child maltreatment is considered a pressing social question, compromising the present and future mental and physical health of one in four children in Europe. While children younger than three years of age are especially vulnerable, few screening instruments are available for the detection of risk in this age group. The purpose of this research was to develop a screening tool for childcare professionals working in public and private daycare settings to support them in the early identification and referral of infants and toddlers exposed to emotional and physical abuse and neglect by primary caregivers, to be used in different settings across four European countries: Belgium, Italy, Latvia, and Hungary.

METHOD

A stratified process was used to create the screening tool: We started by using Living lab methodology to co-create the screening tool with its final users, which was followed by testing the tool with a total of 120 childcare professionals from the four participating countries.

RESULTS

During the Living Lab phase, a screening tool with three layers was developed. The initial layer includes five "red flags" that signal particular concern and require immediate action. The second layer is a quick screener with twelve items focused on four areas: neglect of basic needs, delays in development, unusual behaviors, and interaction with caregivers. The third layer is an in-depth questionnaire that aids in formalizing a thorough observation of twenty-five items within the same four areas as the quick screener. After a one-day training session, 120 childcare professionals caring for children aged 0-3 from four countries assessed the screening tool and their overall training experience. Childcare professionals reported great satisfaction with the three-layered structure, which made the tool versatile, and agreed on its content, which was considered helpful in the daycare setting for the regular evaluation of the behavior of children and their primary caregivers, thus improving the early observation of change from the normal behavior of the infant or toddler.

CONCLUSION

The three-layered screening tool was reported as feasible, practical, and with great content validity by childcare professionals working in four European countries.

Appraisal of published guidelines in European countries addressing the clinical care of childhood sexual abuse: protocol for a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a global public health problem with potentially severe health and mental health consequences. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) should be familiar with risk factors and potential indicators of CSA, and able to provide appropriate medical management. The WHO issued global guidelines for the clinical care of children with CSA, based on rigorous review of the evidence base. The current systematic review identifies existing CSA guidelines issued by government agencies and academic societies in the European Region and assesses their quality and clarity to illuminate strengths and identify opportunities for improvement.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This 10-database systematic review will be conducted according to the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines and will be reported according to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Guidance for HCPs regarding CSA, written by a national governmental agency or academic society of HCPs within 34 COST Action 19106 Network Countries (CANC) and published in peer-reviewed or grey literature between January 2012 and November 2022, is eligible for inclusion. Two independent researchers will search the international literature, screen, review and extract data. Included guidelines will be assessed for completeness and clarity, compared with the WHO 2017/2019 guidelines on CSA, and evaluated for consistency between the CANC guidelines. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology will be used to evaluate CANC guidelines. Descriptive statistics will summarise content similarities and differences between the WHO guidelines and national guidelines; data will be summarised using counts, frequencies, proportions and per cent agreement between country-specific guidelines and the WHO 2017/2019 guidelines.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

There are no individuals or protected health information involved and no safety issues identified. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022320747.

Experiences of medical traumatic stress in parents of children with medical complexity

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Parents of children with medical complexity (CMC) experience high levels of stress and adverse mental health outcomes. Pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS) could be an important contributor that has not yet been explored. PMTS describes parents' reactions to their child's illness and medical treatment and can lead to post-traumatic stress symptoms. This is the first study to describe the experiences and impact of PMTS among parents of CMC.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 parents of CMC. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to generate themes that described the experiences of PMTS and potential contributing factors in the healthcare setting. Themes were validated by study participants.

RESULTS

Parents experienced a spectrum of events and circumstances that impacted PMTS. These corresponded to three major themes: (a) the distinctive context of being the parent of a CMC, (b) interactions with healthcare providers that can hurt or heal and (c) system factors that set the stage for trauma. The consequences of repeated PMTS were a common point of emphasis among all the themes. Parents identified numerous changes that could mitigate PMTS such as acknowledgement of trauma and provision of proactive mental health support.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the issue of PMTS among parents of CMC and presents opportunities to mitigate their traumatic experiences. Supporting the integration of trauma-informed care practices, increasing awareness of PMTS and advocating for parental mental health services could better support parents and families.

Clinical review: Implementation of trauma informed care to optimally impact the treatment of childhood obesity

Background

Traumatic events that occur in infancy, childhood, and adolescence can be impactful over the course of a lifespan. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with chronic health problems and mental illness, and can negatively impact educational and job opportunities. There is a growing body of evidence about the relationship between ACEs and the risk of childhood obesity. Trauma informed care (TIC) is an approach to patient care both at the clinical and organizational level that is responsive to the impact past trauma can have on an individual.

Methods

This clinical review will focus on the impact of toxic stress from trauma on the child through threats to normal physiology, including the manifestation of obesity through energy regulation pathophysiology, followed by a discussion of TIC principles. Available resources and how trauma informed principles can be used in practice are discussed using case study methodology.

Results

TIC programs recognize the impact of trauma on both patients and clinicians. TIC implementation includes application of TIC four assumptions and six key principles out-lined by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's guidance. Clinicians supported by well-designed systems recognize that disclosure is not the goal of TIC; instead, broad trauma inquiry, proceeding to risk and safety assessment if indicated, and connection to interventions is the focus. Best practice communication allows clinicians to access information without retraumatizing the patient with ongoing repetition of their trauma experience.

Conclusion

Combining the pillars of obesity treatment (i.e., nutrition, physical activity, behavior therapy, medical management) with the tenets of TIC (realize, recognize, respond, resist re-traumatization) affords patients holistic, intentional care and family support. The desired outcomes of TIC align with goals of obesity treatment in children, namely improvement of health and quality of life, sense of self (e.g., body image and self-esteem), and prevention of negative health outcomes.

Trauma-Informed Care Curricula for the Health Professions: A Scoping Review of Best Practices for Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

PURPOSE

Trauma-exposed persons often experience difficulties accessing medical care, remaining engaged in treatment plans, and feeling psychologically safe when receiving care. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an established framework for health care professionals, but best practices for TIC education remain unclear. To remedy this, the authors conducted a multidisciplinary scoping literature review to discern best practices for the design, implementation, and evaluation of TIC curricula for health care professionals.

METHOD

The research team searched Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Elsevier's Scopus, Elsevier's Embase, Web of Science, and the PTSDpubs database from the database inception date until May 14, 2021. Worldwide English language studies on previously implemented TIC curricula for trainees or professionals in health care were included in this review.

RESULTS

Fifty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, with medicine being the most common discipline represented. The most prevalent learning objectives were cultivating skills in screening for trauma and responding to subsequent disclosures (41 studies [74.5%]), defining trauma (34 studies [61.8%]), and understanding trauma's impact on health (33 studies [60.0%]). Fifty-one of the studies included curricular evaluations, with the most common survey items being confidence in TIC skills (38 studies [74.5%]), training content knowledge assessment (25 studies [49.0%]), participant demographic characteristics (21 studies [41.2%]), and attitudes regarding the importance of TIC (19 studies [37.3%]).

CONCLUSIONS

Future curricula should be rooted in cultural humility and an understanding of the impacts of marginalization and oppression on individual and collective experiences of trauma. Moreover, curricula are needed for clinicians in more diverse specialties and across different cadres of care teams. Additional considerations include mandated reporting, medical record documentation, and vicarious trauma experienced by health care professionals.

Expanding Neuroprotective Care: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Delivery of Services within Pediatric Inpatient Units

Children with a history of trauma or adverse childhood experiences may be at higher risk for poor psychological and physical responses to medical experiences aimed at enhancing their well-being. Health care institutions are aware of the need for integration of trauma-informed care (TIC) practices yet struggle to find frameworks that promote resiliency to medical stress. An approach called neuroprotective care buffers the effects of toxic stress negatively affecting child health and well-being. Although often used in neonatal and cardiac intensive care units, the development and broad implementation of universal neuroprotective care measures across age groups and hospital settings has not been previously explored. An expanded neuroprotective care protocol takes a prevention approach to TIC. It fits a TIC framework, accounts for children's ecological, biological, and developmental needs, protects them against medical traumatic stress and retraumatization, and provides a tailored, measurable approach that systematically preserves child well-being within hospital settings.

Quality of life in paediatric burn patients with non-severe burns

BACKGROUND

Burns are common worldwide, and the vast majority are non-severe burns of less than 20% of the total body surface area (TBSA). In Australia, paediatric burns account for a third of all burn admissions, thus understanding the quality-of-life outcomes after a non-severe burn in children is important.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study describes a paediatric cohort from Western Australia with non-severe burns occurring between 2018 and 2020 and characterises the child's quality-of-life outcomes which is measured using the Paediatric quality of life survey (PedsQL). The PedsQL included a parent-report and child-report assessment, each with a physical function domain and a psychosocial function domain which comprised of an emotional, a social and a school category.

RESULTS

Data collected from 249 patients; 50.6% were male, 45.6% were toddlers. The most common cause was scald (48.19%), the majority had burns smaller than 5% TBSA (91.97%), and most included visible areas such as head, neck or hands (77.51%). The parent-report PedsQL scores were significantly different for both physical and psychosocial domains between the different age groups (p = 0.002, p = 0.001, respectively) and for burn cause (p = 0.004, p = 0.005, respectively). For child-reported scores we found evidence of an effect of burn cause across both domains that did not reach a statistical significance (p = 0.076, p = 0.078, respectively). The psychosocial functions in both the parent-report and the self-report were significantly different for the socioeconomic status groups (p = 0.015, p = 0.032, respectively). Quality of life scores were critically low in 16.46% of paediatric burn patients at three months after burn.

CONCLUSION

Parent-reported and child-reported psychosocial function was significantly poorer in higher socioeconomic groups, for older children and for those with flame burns. About 16% of patients had scores below the critical cut off. These data provide insight into the quality-of-life outcomes of paediatric patients with non-severe burns, allowing future studies to investigate burn prevention strategies and services to help paediatric burn patients in their recovery.

The journey back to normality: Support systems and posttrauma needs following exposure to single-incident trauma among children and adolescents

Social support has been linked to posttrauma adjustment in children and adolescents, but the components of good support remain poorly defined. We conducted qualitative interviews with 30 youths aged 7-16 years after being admitted to a hospital following a single-incident trauma, predominantly injury or illness. The aim was to identify youths' support needs and examine the support they received across different recovery stages. Thematic analysis revealed that although participants appreciated increased attention and warm support during their hospital stay, most wanted their lives to return to normal soon afterward and were frustrated by barriers to achieving this. Participants received support from different sources, but parents and peers were the most important providers of emotional support and the people with whom these individuals most frequently engaged in trauma-related conversations. Furthermore, although it was important that schools were sensitive to the youths' potential limitations regarding their ability to engage with lessons, emotional support from teachers was less valued. Overall, this study implies that ecological models incorporating multiple interacting layers capture the structure of youths' posttrauma support systems well. These findings may be used to tailor posttrauma interventions more closely to child and adolescent needs at different recovery stages and highlight the importance of having parents and, where possible, peers involved in posttrauma interventions or prevention programs.

Brain-Directed Care: Why Neuroscience Principles Direct PICU Management beyond the ABCs

Major advances in pediatric intensive care (PICU) have led to increased child survival. However, the long-term outcomes among these children following PICU discharge are a concern. Most children admitted to PICU are under five years of age, and the stressors of critical illness and necessary interventions can affect their ability to meet crucial developmental milestones. Understanding the neuroscience of brain development and vulnerability can inform PICU clinicians of new ways to enhance and support the care of these most vulnerable children and families. This review paper first explores the evidence-based neuroscience principles of brain development and vulnerability and the impact of illness and care on children's brains and ultimately wellbeing. Implications for clinical practice and training are further discussed to help optimize brain health in children who are experiencing and surviving a critical illness or injury.

Trauma-Informed Care for Obstetric and Gynecologic Settings

PURPOSE

Trauma is common among those seeking Ob-Gyn care and may have pervasive impact on obstetrical and gynecological health, social functioning, and healthcare engagement. While guidelines exist on the detection and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders within Ob-Gyn care, the role of Ob-gyn clinicians in identifying and addressing patients' traumatic experiences and related symptoms is less clearly delineated. This manuscript provides an overview of trauma-related symptoms in the context of Ob-Gyn care and practical guidance of clinicians aiming to improve their detection and response to trauma in their clinical practice.

DESCRIPTION

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) describes a psychiatric illness which develops as a response to a traumatic event. Women who have experienced trauma are also at increased risk for borderline personality disorder and other psychiatric comorbidities. Postpartum PTSD has particular relevance to obstetrical care.

ASSESSMENT

Screening for trauma in Ob-Gyn care can provide an opportunity to address risk and offer targeted intervention. Several brief evidence-based screening tools are available. Individuals who screen positive require assessment of immediate safety and targeted referrals. Trauma informed care describes an approach to healthcare aimed to enhance physical and emotional safety for patients and clinicians.

CONCLUSION

Given the prevalence and the potentially devastating and enduring impact of trauma and trauma-related symptoms, there is a critical need to address trauma within Ob-Gyn care. By recognizing the signs of trauma and initiating or referring to appropriate treatments, Ob-Gyn clinicians have a unique opportunity to better understand their patients and to improve their care.

Effects of artificial intelligence aibo intervention on alleviating distress and fear in children

BACKGROUND

Procedures and actions such as injections and immobilization cause distress to children. In the pediatric field, there is a need for interventions and support to alleviate the pain and distress caused by such medical procedures. In recent years, the introduction of robots as a means of distraction has begun to be attempted.

METHODS

In this study, we conducted a non-randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of intervention using 'aibo', a dog-like robot which has artificial intelligence (AI), to promote distraction in children after vaccination. Children between the ages of 3 and 12 years old eligible for the Japanese encephalitis vaccine, and their caregivers were assigned to intervention group or control group. Then, children evaluated their pain and children's behavior were observed by observer. The mean values of Faces pain rating scale scores and observer pain scale scores were compared between groups using an unpaired t-test.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven children (32 in the intervention group) participated in the study. Results of a t-test with the control group showed that the intervention group using aibo had significantly less pain following the post-vaccination intervention than the control group using stuffed dog (Face Scale, t(55) = 2.582, p = .0125; Behavioral Observation Scale, t(55) = 2.772, p = .00759). The results support the hypothesis that the aibo intervention group will be less distressed and able to calm down more quickly after vaccination than the control group.

CONCLUSION

Interactive communicative play intervention by an artificially intelligent aibo before and after painful and frightening medical procedures may alleviate fear and anxiety and prevent medical trauma in children.

Family-Centered Care and Flourishing in Early Childhood

INTRODUCTION

Flourishing reflects a child's ability to cope with stress and have positive relationships, which are critical to health and well-being. Pediatricians may increase flourishing in children through family-centered care, which is perceived as sensitive and responsive to specific child needs and family circumstances. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family-centered care and flourishing in young children.

METHODS

Data from the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health were used to examine the relationship among children aged 1-5 years (n=17,826). The relationship was explored using chi-square tests and sequential logistic regression modeling, controlling for family socioeconomics and adversity, race/ethnicity, child health, and other measures of healthcare quality. Analyses were conducted in January 2022.

RESULTS

Approximately 82% of young children were flourishing. After adjusting for all variables, receipt of family-centered care was the only measure of quality health care associated with an increased likelihood of flourishing in young children (adjusted prevalence rate ratio=1.14; 95% CI=1.01, 1.29; p=0.02). Disparities in flourishing by child sex, race/ethnicity, parental education, income, and insurance type were mitigated after adjustment. However, a decreased likelihood of flourishing continued to be associated with having a special healthcare need (adjusted prevalence rate ratio=0.74; 95% CI=0.68, 0.82) and experiencing multiple adverse childhood experiences (adjusted prevalence rate ratio=0.78; 95% CI=0.66, 0.92).

CONCLUSIONS

Expanding receipt of family-centered care may support flourishing and help to reduce disparities in flourishing during early childhood. Future research should evaluate the strategies to overcome barriers to delivering and receiving family-centered care, especially among children with special healthcare needs and children who experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences.

Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC-10) Scale

BACKGROUND

Trauma-informed care is recommended to avoid the inadvertent retraumatization of patients by health care providers. Psychometric evaluation of trauma-informed care instruments is needed. The Japanese version of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC-10) Scale has not yet been psychometrically validated.

OBJECTIVE

The study's objective was to examine the reliability and validity of the ARTIC-10.

METHODS

This psychometric study of the ARTIC-10 compared with five other scales associated with attitudes related to trauma-informed care used a cross-sectional survey design conducted in November 2020 with a convenience sample of Japanese physicians and nurses recruited from an internet research agency. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires including the (a) ARTIC-10; (b) the Japanese version of the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire 2018; (c) Patient Health Questionnaire-9; (d) Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; (e) Stress Underestimation Beliefs; and (f) Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. Cronbach's α measured reliability internal consistency, and construct validity was measured by Spearman's rank.

RESULTS

A total of 794 physicians and nurses completed the surveys. Cronbach's α value of ARTIC-10 was 0.56. Higher scores of ARTIC-10 were positively and significantly correlated with Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire 2018 and negatively and significantly correlated with other scales (r =-.12 to .30).

CONCLUSION

This study found only modest internal consistency and construct validity of the Japanese version of ARTIC-10 in physicians and nurses. Further study is needed to identify factors that affect the reliability and validity of this Japanese scale to improve its psychometric properties.

Is Pediatric Intensive Care Trauma-Informed? A Review of Principles and Evidence

Pediatric critical illness and injury, along with the experience of recovering from critical illness are among the most potentially traumatic experiences for children and their families. Additionally, children often come to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with pre-existing trauma that may sensitize them to PICU-related distress. Trauma-informed care (TIC) in the PICU, while under-examined, has the potential to enhance quality of care, mitigate trauma-related symptoms, encourage positive coping, and provide anticipatory guidance for the recovery process. This narrative review paper first describes the need for TIC in the PICU and then introduces the principles of TIC as outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics: awareness, readiness, detection and assessment, management, and integration. Current clinical practices within PICU settings are reviewed according to each TIC principle. Discussion about opportunities for further development of TIC programs to improve patient care and advance knowledge is also included.

Hospitalized children's perceptions of legacy: 'A symbol of yourself that you leave behind'

BACKGROUND

Legacy building is a developmentally grounded, trauma-informed and family-centred psychosocial intervention designed to bolster patient and family resilience through collaborative activities and meaning making. However, little is known about the effects of these interventions, partially because of a lack of clarity regarding how children of different developmental levels understand the concept of legacy. Therefore, this study explored the ways in which hospitalized children defined the concept of legacy.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 hospitalized children (ages 6 to 18 years) on the acute and critical care units of an academic children's medical centre. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim; transcripts were independently coded by at least two members of the research team using an inductive, line-by-line approach; and codes were categorized and assembled into four overarching themes, resulting in a developmental typology of the concept of legacy.

RESULTS

Participants described legacy as (1) concepts, actions or feelings motivated by the future; (2) represented through both tangible and intangible means; (3) informed by personal, educational, experiential and ideological sources; and (4) experienced as good, bad or neutral.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study demonstrate that hospitalized children are aware of and can articulate an emerging concept of legacy - one that mirrors the progression of cognitive complexity shaped by their unique personal life and healthcare experiences. The developmental typology presented in this study can be a useful starting point for clinicians as they present and facilitate legacy building interventions throughout a child's hospital stay.

Trauma-Informed Acute Care of Patients With Violence-Related Injury

Violently-injured individuals presenting to the emergency department (ED) have an elevated risk of repeat injury after being discharged from acute care settings and a high rate of unaddressed mental health and social needs. While there is a growing body of programmatic interventions to address these needs, including hospital-based violence intervention programs, there is a lack of data regarding physician perspectives of current practice for this patient population. Understanding current practice is critical for integrating new programs into workflow and developing evidence-based medical education to improve care. The aim of this study is to elucidate current trauma-informed care practices of emergency medicine and general surgery trainee physicians to inform future curriculum development surrounding care of violently injured patients. In this study, emergency medicine and surgical trainees with at least one year of residency experience participated in simulation-primed interviews in pairs or small groups. Interviews garnered perspectives on the physician role in treating violently injured youth, using simulation as a priming event focused on previously known patient concerns. Qualitative themes that emerged were participants (1) perceived their role as managing medical/surgical concerns and seek others to build trust and manage psychosocial and legal concerns, (2) had a high level of knowledge of ED stressors and de-escalation strategies, (3) perceived that patient distrust can negatively impact their ability to provide care, and (4) perceived that law enforcement can negatively impact care and are sometimes uncertain about how to interact with law enforcement. These findings support that medical education for providers should focus on medicolegal issues, particularly managing law enforcement presence in the ED, structural and interpersonal causes of distrust of medical providers and the medical system, and addressing postdischarge mental health and social needs.

Trajectories and correlates of opioid prescription receipt among patients experiencing interpersonal violence

Interpersonal violence increases vulnerability to the deleterious effects of opioid use. Increased opioid prescription receipt is a major contributor to the opioid crisis; however, our understanding of prescription patterns and risk factors among those with a history of interpersonal violence remains elusive. This study sought to identify 5-year longitudinal patterns of opioid prescription receipt among patients experiencing interpersonal violence within a large healthcare system and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with prescription patterns. This secondary analysis examined electronic health record data from January 2004–August 2019 for a cohort of patients (N = 1,587) referred for interpersonal violence services. Latent class growth analysis was used to estimate trajectories of opioid prescription receipt over a 5-year period. Standardized differences were calculated to assess variation in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics between classes. Our cohort had a high prevalence of prescription opioid receipt (73.3%) and underlying co-morbidities, including chronic pain (54.6%), substance use disorders (39.0%), and mental health diagnoses (76.9%). Six prescription opioid receipt classes emerged, characterized by probability of any prescription opioid receipt at the start and end of the study period (high, medium, low, never) and change in probability over time (increasing, decreasing, stable). Classes with the highest probability of prescription opioids also had the highest proportions of males, chronic pain diagnoses, substance use disorders, and mental health diagnoses. Black, non-Hispanic and Hispanic patients were more likely to be in low or no prescription opioid receipt classes. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring for synergistic co-morbidities when providing pain management and offering treatment that is trauma-informed, destigmatizing, and integrated into routine care.

Understanding the Conceptualization and Operationalization of Trauma-Informed Care Within and Across Systems: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

Policy Points In order to achieve successful operationalization of trauma-informed care (TIC), TIC policies must include conceptual clarity regarding the definition of both trauma and TIC. Furthermore, TIC requires clear and cohesive policies that address operational factors such as clearly delineated roles of service providers, protocol for positive trauma screens, necessary financial infrastructure, and mechanisms of intersectoral collaboration. Additionally, policy procedures need to be considered for how TIC is provided at the program and service level as well as what TIC means at the organizational, system, and intersectoral level.

CONTEXT

Increased recognition of the epidemiology of trauma and its impact on individuals within and across human service delivery systems has contributed to the development of trauma-informed care (TIC). How TIC can be conceptualized and implemented, however, remains unclear. This study seeks to review and analyze the TIC literature from within and across systems of care and to generate a conceptual framework regarding TIC.

METHODS

Our study followed a critical interpretive synthesis methodology. We searched multiple databases (Campbell Collaboration, Econlit, Health Systems Evidence, Embase, ERIC, HealthSTAR, IPSA, JSTOR, Medline, PsychINFO, Social Sciences Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts and Web of Science),as well as relevant gray literature and information-rich websites. We used a coding tool, adapted to the TIC literature, for data extraction.

FINDINGS

Electronic database searches yielded 2,439 results and after inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, a purposive sample of 98 information-rich articles was generated. Conceptual clarity and definitional understanding of TIC is lacking in the literature, which has led to poor operationalization of TIC. Additionally, infrastructural and ideological barriers, such as insufficient funding and service provider "buy-in," have hindered TIC implementation. The resulting conceptual framework defines trauma and depicts critical elements of vertical TIC, including the bidirectional relationship between the trauma-affected individual and the system, and horizontal TIC, which requires intersectoral collaboration, an established referral network, and standardized TIC language.

CONCLUSIONS

Successful operationalization of TIC requires policies that address current gaps in systems arrangements, such as the lack of funding structures for TIC, and political factors, such as the role of policy legacies. The emergent conceptual framework acknowledges critical factors affecting operationalization.

Barriers to emergency department clinicians' confidence in providing paediatric trauma-informed care

Background

It has been estimated that around 31% of children will experience a traumatic event during childhood, most commonly serious accidents that lead to hospitalisation. Around 15% of children who experience such events go onto develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Emergency department (ED) clinicians have a unique opportunity to intervene during the early peri-trauma period, which can involve incorporating a trauma-informed approach within their care. The available evidence indicates that clinicians internationally need further education and training to enhance their knowledge and confidence in providing trauma-informed psychosocial care. However, UK/Ireland specific knowledge is limited.

Methods

The current study analysed the UK and Irish subset of data (N = 434) that was collected as part of an international survey of ED clinicians. Questionnaires indexed clinician confidence in providing psychosocial care, and a range of potential barriers to providing that care. Hierarchical linear regression was used to identify predictors of clinician confidence.

Results

Clinicians reported moderate levels of confidence in providing psychosocial care to injured children and families (M = 3.19, SD = 0.46). Regression analyses identified negative predictors of clinical confidence, including a lack of training, worrying about further upsetting children and parents, and low levels of perceived departmental performance in providing psychosocial care (R 2 = 0.389).

Conclusions

The findings highlight the need for further training in psychosocial care for ED clinicians. Future research must identify nationally relevant pathways to implement training programmes for clinicians, in order to improve their skills in relation to paediatric traumatic stress and to reduce the perception of barriers identified in the present study.