Impact Of Toxic Stress Research Articles

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

BackgroundTraumatic 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. MethodsThis 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. ResultsTIC 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. ConclusionCombining 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.

Teaching to Empower: Leveraging the Neuroscience of Now to Help Students Become Self-Regulated Learners.

In his book Descartes' Error, neurologist Antonio Damasio argues that humans do not make decisions by relying exclusively on the rational or reason-oriented parts of their brain (2008). Evidence from patients with brain damage reveal that our abilities to reason and make decisions are greatly influenced by our emotions (Damasio et al., 1990; Saver and Damasio, 1991). In fact, our emotions and how we feel act as a gateway to our thinking and learning by providing "the bridge between rational [prefrontal cortex] and nonrational processes" [brainstem and limbic structures]." (Damasio, 2008). Understanding the ways in which our brain processes sensory inputs and integrates those inputs into our ongoing emotional state is critical for helping students become self-regulated, sophisticated learners. In the following article, I will begin by briefly summarizing the role of emotions in learning and the impact of toxic stress on our students' ability to engage, learn, and thrive. I will then define and present a trauma-informed teaching and learning paradigm with practical strategies that empower students to continue to learn and succeed. I will address a few misconceptions about trauma-informed education. I will conclude by making a plea to you, members of the undergraduate neuroscience community, by presenting a case for the utility and moral imperative of educating our students about the basic functioning of their brains, especially as it relates to emotional regulation and learning.

Improving Outcomes for Young Children By Mitigating the Impact of Toxic Stress and Trauma

Improving Outcomes for Young Children By Mitigating the Impact of Toxic Stress and Trauma

Medical Management and Trauma-Informed Care for Children in Foster Care

Children enter foster care with a myriad of exposures and experiences, which can threaten their physical and mental health and development. Expanding evidence and evolving guidelines have helped to shape the care of these children over the past two decades. These guidelines address initial health screening, comprehensive medical evaluations, and follow-up care. Information exchange, attention to exposures, and consideration of how the adversities, which lead to foster placement, can impact health is crucial. These children should be examined with a trauma lens, so that the child, caregiver, and community supports can be assisted to view their physical and behavioral health from the perspective of what we now understand about the impact of toxic stress. Health care providers can impact the health of foster children by screening for the negative health consequences of trauma, advocating for trauma-informed services, and providing trauma-informed anticipatory guidance to foster parents. By taking an organized and comprehensive approach, the health care provider can best attend to the needs of this vulnerable population.