Trauma-informed Education Research Articles

FEATURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN UKRAINE DURING THE WAR AND POST-WAR RECOVERY

The ongoing war in Ukraine and the ensuing post-war recovery have significantly transformed the nation’s educational and mental health systems. Psychological education has emerged as a vital field, addressing the escalating demand for mental health support, trauma recovery, and resilience-building among affected populations. This article explores the transformative adaptations of psychological education in Ukraine, including the integration of trauma-informed practices, the use of advanced therapeutic methods, and international collaborations. These efforts aim to equip professionals with the necessary skills to foster individual and societal healing in the face of adversity. This study aims to examine the distinctive features and adaptations of psychological education in Ukraine during the war and the post-war recovery period. Specifically, it seeks to identify strategies employed to address widespread trauma, enhance resilience, and promote societal healing. The article also highlights the role of trauma-informed education, community-based mental health initiatives, and global partnerships in shaping these educational transformations. The study employs a qualitative review methodology, synthesizing data from academic literature, institutional reports, and global frameworks on psychological education and mental health strategies. The analysis reveals several key features of psychological education in Ukraine during the war and post-war recovery: crisis-oriented curricula; practical training; remote learning and digital tools; resilience and coping mechanisms; cultural sensitivity and contextual adaptation; global collaborations. The article underscores the need for ongoing research to refine trauma-informed education and evaluate its long-term impact on both students and educators. Psychological education in Ukraine has undergone significant transformation, addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by war and recovery. By integrating advanced therapeutic practices, fostering community resilience, and leveraging global collaborations, Ukraine has established a robust framework for addressing mental health needs in conflict-affected regions. These efforts not only aid immediate recovery but also lay the foundation for a resilient and psychologically aware society.

Trauma-informed teaching practices: An online pilot program with teachers in India

Trauma-informed teaching practices: An online pilot program with teachers in India

An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Teaching in Anthropology

An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Teaching in Anthropology

(Internalising) challenging behaviours and trauma-informed Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

ABSTRACT Notwithstanding their empirically validated credentials and social justice orientations, a mono-dimensional approach to Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) cannot singlehandedly meet the unique needs of minoritised children and young people who have experienced acute, cumulative, or complex traumas. Experiences of trauma have been empirically proven to have a debilitating effect on minoritised children’s learning and socio-emotional functioning. This causal effect necessitates the development of trauma-informed multitiered models of intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of trauma and to support these students’ behaviour and learning. The article discusses the necessity of developing trauma-informed and intersectionality-based PBIS, while providing some insights into how trauma-informed education and care should be incorporated in PBIS planning and implementation strategies at the school and community levels. These analytical insights complement earlier work on promoting an ecological/interactional approach to understanding students’ developmental trajectories and their impact on academic and social behaviours, as well as more recent equity-focused PBIS approaches to improving equity in school discipline.

Is Your Syllabus Trauma Informed?

Recognizing the limitations of existing trauma-informed education approaches, this research emphasized the need to address systemic issues and societal inequalities. The study documents a transformative process undertaken by the author in the Spring semester of 2023, involving a meticulous reevaluation and rewriting of course policies using Shevrin Venet's (2021) four proactive priority questions. The article explores student perceptions of the equity-centered trauma-informed education through surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the semester, revealing positive shifts in student attitudes towards the implementation of the four priorities. The findings suggest that a thoughtfully crafted and trauma-informed syllabus can contribute to a positive learning environment, emphasizing predictability, flexibility, empowerment, and connection. Through this inquiry, the article contributes to the ongoing discourse on bridging the gap between theoretical frameworks and practical application in trauma-informed pedagogy within teacher education.

Implementing a School-Wide Trauma-Informed Education Approach: An Evaluation of Student-Outcomes during the First Year of Implementation

Implementing a School-Wide Trauma-Informed Education Approach: An Evaluation of Student-Outcomes during the First Year of Implementation

Virtual exchange in times of crisis: Exploring framework of competencies for educators

The study aims to investigate the efficiency of the RAFT framework—Resilience, Appreciation of Diversity, Facilitation, and Trauma-Informed pedagogy—in enhancing educators’ skills in managing virtual exchange (VE) projects in crisis times. VE has become an important instrument for maintaining education across physical and geopolitical barriers; hence it is necessary to assess and improve teachers’ ability to manage such projects effectively. This study involved 52 educators in a comprehensive assessment process including initial self-assessments on their competencies, specialized professional training guided by the RAFT framework, and conducting VE projects. Surveys, focus group discussions, and content analysis of reflective portfolios were used by the study to establish their practicality and effectiveness. Results indicated the RAFT framework increased educators’ resilience, diversity awareness, facilitation, and trauma-informed teaching skills. The study concludes RAFT framework is a useful tool for educators to efficiently manage VE programs in crisis.

Transcending attitudes: teacher responses to professional development in trauma-informed education

The adoption of trauma-informed practices in schools is a significant and growing area of school reform efforts. It has been assumed that professional development aimed at influencing teacher attitudes toward trauma-informed care in schools is an important first step in adopting trauma-informed practices and improving student and school outcomes. However, there are gaps in the literature assessing the impact of trauma-informed professional development on teacher attitudes toward trauma-informed care, and there is little evidence linking changes in teacher attitudes to changes in practices. This exploratory study assessed teacher responses to a year-long pilot program providing intensive professional development and consultation on trauma-informed practices in one urban elementary school in the U.S. Southwest. Findings raise questions about the impact of professional development on teacher attitudes and subsequent changes to practice.

Advancing Equity and Justice in Academic Nursing Through Trauma-Informed Education Practice.

As educators and schools redouble their efforts to support and graduate a diverse and highly competent student body, there is an urgent need to adopt an academic framework to understand the effects of trauma on student learning, ground equity and justice in nursing education, and underpin policy development. This article explicates the use of equity-centered trauma-informed education practice (TIEP) as a framework for examining, scrutinizing, and eliminating the influences and effects of racism, including explicit, implicit, systematic, and microaggressions, as well as inequitable approaches in practices, pedagogy, and policy. Five key strategies were identified: (1) bias and antiracist work; (2) safety and trust; (3) culturally responsive pedagogy; (4) wellness and balance and (5) community-building. Transforming nursing education requires a paradigm shift, with changes occurring from an individual to a system level. TIEP ensures changes are equity-centered and justice-focused. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(8):507-514.].

The Kids Aren't Alright: Climate Education in a Trauma-Laden World

ABSTRACT Nearly every student today is coming into informal education programs with some form of trauma. This is especially true as we examine the long-lasting impacts of climate change, the pandemic, and identity-based prejudice on children. In response, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has undertaken a transformative journey in its education programs. This paper explores our evolving approaches, centered in trauma-informed education, maker-centered agency, and equity-based practices. We outline some of our trauma-informed practices, including hiring a full-time school counselor and integrating wellness practices into programming. We share our journey to maker-centered education, with the goal of building agency and resilience in students as they tackle environmental challenges. We describe steps we’ve taken toward equity-based practices, such as revamping our hiring practices and building culturally relevant pedagogies. Reflecting on this journey, we emphasize the ongoing nature of this work and invite collaborators to envision and co-create a more just and sustainable future.

Supporting adolescent well-being at school: Integrating transformative social and emotional learning and trauma-informed education

There is an urgent need to support the social and emotional well-being of adolescents with experiences of adversity and trauma. Adolescence is a critical period of development for promoting social and emotional competencies, which can prevent poor mental health and problematic substance use and promote thriving during challenging teenage years and beyond. Both transformative social and emotional learning (TSEL) and trauma-informed programs for schools (TIPS) have been identified as promising practices for supporting social and emotional well-being among young people with experiences of adversity. We propose a pragmatic theory of action for schools for implementing and evaluating initiatives that integrate TSEL and TIPS made up of three iterative components: awareness, assessment, and action. The TSEL + TIPS Theory of Action is illustrated by a case study of a cross-sectoral collaboration of government, schools, researchers, healthcare, and adolescents to implement TSEL and TIPS initiatives in British Columbia, Canada. The case study provides evidence for the feasibility of TSEL + TIPS Theory of Action and may serve as an example for other regions as experiences of adversity and poor mental health continue to rise among adolescents globally.

A Screening Instrument for Trauma-Related Behavior Among Young Primary School Students: Development and Validation of the RaPTOSS

This article reports on the development and psychometric evaluation of a new teacher observation instrument to systematically assess young primary school students’ well-being and detect potential indicators of psychological trauma, the RaPTOSS: Risk and Protective factors Trauma Observation School Situations. The RaPTOSS is developed specifically for preschool and early primary school teachers, because of the limited abilities their young students have to verbally reflect and report on their well-being and stressful experiences. We examined the factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity and criterion validity of the RaPTOSS in a sample of 406 4- to 8-year-old regular education students. Exploratory factor analyses yielded a four-factor structure for the risk items with the following factors: Withdrawn, Dysphoria, Destructive and Inattentive. The protective factor items revealed a four-factor structure closely aligning the theoretical factor structure: Safety and Relations, Self-Image, Everyday Life and Self-Regulation. All factors exhibited good to excellent internal consistency. Correlations between the RaPTOSS and existing measures of psychosocial well-being without a specific focus on trauma-related behavior demonstrated good convergent validity. Criterion validity was supported, as indicated by moderate to large positive correlations between teacher worries about a student and RaPTOSS risk factors, and moderate to large negative correlations between teacher worries and RAPTOSS protective factors. We conclude that the RaPTOSS is a promising measure for trauma-informed teaching and research, although future research is needed to establish its psychometric qualities in specific samples such as children diagnosed with PTSD and refugee children.

Adopting Trauma-Informed Approaches to Teaching & Learning in Health & Exercise Sciences: a Case Study

The School of Health & Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia Okanagan offers a competency-based undergraduate program that prepares students for professional practice in kinesiology and allied health, clinical exercise physiology, and/or health behaviour change. In delivering this program, we aim to 1) provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students, and 2) intentionally prepare students for equity-minded and anti-oppressive professional practice. To support both of these goals, we have recently embarked on a multipronged initiative to implement trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning across our program. Trauma-informed approaches are critical due to the high prevalence of trauma exposure in both the university student and general adult population. Since people from historically, persistently or systemically marginalized groups are more likely to have experienced trauma, trauma-informed approaches should be considered an essential tool for supporting equity and inclusion in higher education. Finally, trauma-informed practice is especially relevant in a discipline like ours, where learning activities and professional practice commonly involve close examination of the body, touching, and other potentially triggering interactions and events. We have taken several steps to support the adoption of trauma-informed teaching practices in our School. These include characterizing the need for trauma-informed approaches in our laboratory courses, selecting an appropriate framework to guide our recommendations, creating an educator guide for designing and facilitating trauma-informed learning experiences, and developing and launching a training program for instructors and teaching assistants. We have also made progress with integrating learning about trauma-informed approaches into our curriculum. To support backward design, we defined one program-level competency related to trauma-informed practice, with five associated learning outcomes. These learning outcomes have been mapped across the curriculum to support mastery of the competency by graduation. This year, we employed two different instructional approaches (large vs. small group and instructor-led vs. guest expert-led sessions) in one first- and fourth-year course (n=209 and 100 students, respectively). Formative assessments indicate that individual learning outcomes were attained by 72-91% of students. Summative assessments of learning and student evaluations of instruction and perceived learning are forthcoming. Here we describe a comprehensive effort to revise both pedagogy and curriculum in support of trauma-informed teaching and learning in health and exercise sciences. By sharing our process, early successes, and lessons learned, we offer a valuable example for educators and educational designers across disciplines related to human anatomy, physiology, and health. This work is happening on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan people and is supported by the UBCO School of Health & Exercise Sciences and the UBCO Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Offce. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Banditry’s Toll On Tomorrow: Exploring the Consequences on Youth in Northwest Nigeria

In recent years, the northwest region of Nigeria has experienced a surge in banditry activities, leading to profound repercussions on local communities. This paper aims at examining banditry’s toll on tomorrow, with a focus on the consequences on the youth in northwest Nigeria. The method adopted for this research is the qualitative method of investigation which tends to emphasize the description, meaning, and understanding of the phenomenon being studied. It relies on questioning and observation in the effort to discover or generate a profound understanding of the phenomenon or situation under investigation. This qualitative research uses a paradigm interpretive approach (naturalistic), which tries to understand the phenomenon from the subjective experiences of individuals. The study discovered that banditry has multiple consequences (economical, political, social, cultural, religious, etc) on the youth in Northwest Nigeria. The paper recommends that, despite the challenges posed by banditry, efforts can be made to promote resilience and develop coping strategies among youths in the Northwest, Nigeria. This may involve implementing psycho-social support programs, trauma-informed teaching practices, and community-based interventions to address the psychological impact.

Recovery among people with mental health challenges and alcohol and drug use issues in the Northern Territory, Australia

IntroductionThe Northern Territory (NT) has Australia’s highest mental health burden. It has a diverse and transient population, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and various multicultural communities. While peer support has been widely used nationwide, in the NT, peer support is poorly implemented in psychosocial support activities.ObjectivesThe NT Lived Experience Network (NTLEN), in allyship with a team of researchers from Flinders University, has secured multiple fundings aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a peer education and recovery program called Recovery Together (RT) for individuals with mental health and alcohol and drug use issues and related challenges.MethodsThe suitable evaluation approach was co-designed with live experience representatives from NTLEN and other local key stakeholders. It applied a mixed-method approach, including pre and post-program surveys (n=64) and individual interviews with program participants and the program delivery team (n=32). The evaluation findings were also informed by data collected by NTLEN via feedback forms n=38). We also used a co-design approach to develop survey instruments to ensure they were strengths-based and recovery-oriented.ResultsParticipants reported poor and fair self-perceived health, high stress levels, dissatisfaction with their relationships and relatively low recovery scores, which showed improvements at post-program completion. They discussed their journeys in the interviews and shared their experiences with local mental health services and the Recovery Together program. Many expressed that mental health professionals are not necessarily the care providers they feel comfortable engaging with. However, they described their experience with the peer program as highly positive, empowering, safe, non-judgmental, and beneficial, satisfying their support needs. The program gave them hope and tools to manage their mental health challenges and opportunities to gain insight into non-clinical aspects of recovery. Participants conceptualised personal recovery in their own words and described the facilitators and barriers to their recovery. They emphasised that recovery is being empowered, strong within themselves and the leader of their journey, living their best possible life, understanding themselves, having the necessary knowledge about mental health, and looking forward in a hopeful way.ConclusionsOur findings highlighted the demand and need for ongoing delivery of the RT program in the NT, which was highly effective in supporting personal recovery, addressing the service delivery gap and complementing the available clinical and mental health practices. They also showed the importance of providing recovery-oriented and trauma-informed education for medical and mental health professionals.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

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

This study measured staff understanding and integration of trauma-informed care following comprehensive education. 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. 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. System-wide trauma-informed education can achieve measurable effect in a NICU setting.

Trauma-informed education: a case for compassion-focused teaching?

ABSTRACT While education seeks to develop academic knowledge, there too lies the need for children and young people’s personal, social, emotional, and ethical needs to be met, to develop confidence and autonomy. With ongoing austerity and the closure of universal services such as Children Centres , there is an ever-increasing need for schools to become trauma informed, as they continue to gain recognition as a first line of defence against later mental health issues, warranting earlier and more pervasive intervention and support. As a result, therapeutic approaches and teaching continue to converge in schools in varying capacities. Well-being and academic learning should be regarded in equal measure; however, the application of standalone interventions raises the question of what needs to be considered for mental health and well-being to be authentically trauma informed and threaded into the culture and pedagogy of schools long term. This paper uses existing literature to examine the implications of trauma-informed education in developing a case for compassion-focused pedagogy in schools, considering the benefits and potential barriers to its implementation

An evaluation of a trauma-informed educational intervention to enhance therapeutic engagement and reduce coercive practices in a child and adolescent inpatient mental health unit.

High-risk behaviours are sometimes encountered in Child and Adolescent inpatient mental health units and can prompt the use of coercive practices to maintain safety. Coercive practices may lead to re-traumatisation of young people and deteriorating therapeutic relationships. Trauma-informed practice (TIP) has successfully reduced coercive practices. While education is identified as foundational to implementation, evaluations of programmes remain minimal. The aim of this study was to explore mental health professionals' views and experiences of a trauma-informed education programme and its likely impact on their approach to practice. Five mental health professionals agreed to participate, four contributed in a focus group and one in an individual interview. Data were analysed thematically using the Braun and Clarke Framework. Three main themes were identified. Firstly, shifting attitudes and perceptions of trauma-informed practice. Participants believed they had developed more compassion towards clients and these attitudes were reflected in their clinical practice. Secondly, challenges associated with trauma-informed practice educational intervention. Staffing issues and shift work made it difficult for participants to attend education sessions regularly. Participants identified barriers to practicing in a trauma-informed manner in the current clinical environment. Finally, the need for interdisciplinary communication and support was identified. Participants saw the need for all professionals, not only nurses, to take responsibility for changing practice, and for stronger support at the organisational level. Trauma-informed practice is crucial to recovery-focused mental health nursing practice. These findings highlight the importance of TIP education and suggest areas for further improvement to enhance positive mental health outcomes for young people.

The unintended consequences of integrating trauma-informed teaching into teacher education

ABSTRACT In response to the growing need for trauma-informed teaching, more teacher education programs are incorporating trauma-informed content to prepare preservice teachers for their future classrooms. For this study, we examined student coursework and clinical experiences related to student trauma and trauma-informed teaching with a group of preservice teachers (N = 25). A thematic analysis of written reflections and interviews revealed deficit-based ideologies connected to student trauma with minimal attention directed at student strengths and resilience. Preservice teachers viewed student trauma in relation to behavioral issues, as circumstances that teachers have to deal with, and as a result of family and community deficiencies. A few students recognized trauma in relation to resilience by viewing schools and teachers as a protective factor. Informal stories shared by cooperating teachers appeared to feed these deficit views, as well as some course-related materials and projects. Recommendations for teacher educators are discussed.

Utilizing a HRSA Training Grant to Promote PMHNP Student Resilience: Answering the Call to Enhance Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning Practices in Nursing Education

Nursing burnout has reached a new level of prevalence among professionals and is rising among nursing students and can impact student success in the classroom and clinical areas. Among advanced practice nurses, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners have the least favorable combination of low compassion satisfaction and high secondary traumatic stress, placing them at even greater risk for burnout compared to other specialties. Trauma informed teaching and learning principles can serve to prevent burnout and have a positive impact on learning outcomes. Through these teaching methods, nurse educators have the opportunity to both support students during their nursing education and prepare students for the professional stressors that contribute to burnout. This quality improvement project involved implementation and evaluation of a HRSA funded program to train PMHNP students interested in working in rural and underserved areas. The training intervention included didactic curricular enhancements, a trauma resiliency training and a longitudinal clinical practicum. Qualitative program outcomes indicated that trainees were implementing trauma-informed principles and skills with patients and for self-care during their nursing training and at one year follow-up. The program may offer practical upstream solutions for nurse educators and future studies should explore concepts more formally to develop best practice models.