What is Trauma and Its Impact

What is Trauma-Informed Care?

Trauma can be experienced by all ages from toddlers to adults. If trauma persists for long periods of time it can have long lasting effects on the development of a child. Therefore it is important for the supports in children's lives understand the impact of what trauma informed care is and what they can do to prevent lasting effects. When the supports such as parents, the school and the community understand what they can do to help support traumatized children , then the children can develop and overcome a resilience to trauma.

Here are some bullet points on how to support

Environments are responsive to children's specific needs
Families, schools and community- increase the chances of resilience following childhood trauma when they become aware of the impact of childhood trauma, provide a sense of safety and predictability, protect children from further adversity, and offer pathways for their recovery.
Follow the Four R's Realize- Recognize- Respond- Resist Re-traumatization

Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma occurs when a child experiences an actual or threatened negative event, series of events, or set of circumstances that cause emotional pain and overwhelm the child’s ability to cope.

Impact of Childhood Trauma

strongly linked to mental and physical health problems over the lifespan. It negatively impacts brain development, cognitive development, learning, social-emotional development, the ability to develop secure attachments to others, and physical health; it is also associated with a shortened lifespan[17],[18],[19],[20]

Young children who experience trauma may:

Have difficulties forming an attachment to caregivers
Experience excessive fear of strangers or separation anxiety
Have trouble eating and sleeping
Be especially fussy
Show regression after reaching a developmental milestone (e.g., sleeping through the night, toilet training)

School-age children who experience trauma may:

Engage in aggressive behavior
Become withdrawn
Fixate on their own safety or the safety of others
Re-enact the traumatic event through play
Have frequent nightmares
Exhibit difficulty concentrating in school

Adolescents who experience trauma may:

Become anxious or depressed
Engage in risk-taking or self-destructive behaviors (e.g., drug and alcohol misuse, dangerous driving, sexual promiscuity, unprotected sex, self-harm, illegal activity)
Feel intense guilt, anger, or shame
Adopt a negative view of people and society
In some cases, have persistent thoughts about suicide or seeking revenge

References

Bartlett, J., & Steber, K. (2019). How to Implement Trauma-informed Care to Build Resilience to Childhood Trauma. Retrieved from https://www.childtrends.org/publications/how-to-implement-trauma-informed-care-to-build-resilience-to-childhood-trauma
[6] International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. (n.d.). What is childhood trauma? Retrieved June 8, 2018 from http://www.istss.org/public-resources/remembering-childhood-trauma/what-is-childhood-trauma.aspx
[7] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-Health Resources & Services Administration. (n.d.). Adverse childhood experiences (ACES), trauma, & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Retrieved June 8, 2018 from https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/trauma#ACE_Trauma_PTSD_Resources
[8] The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). What is child trauma? Retrieved June 8, 2018 from https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma

Report abuse