Healthcare staff, youth and caregivers identified four main aspects to consider when implementing a trauma-informed care program in a pediatric mental health unit, according to a study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing. 

The collaboration between researchers at CHEO, uOttawa and The Ottawa Hospital led by Dr. Yehudis Stokes interviewed 21 healthcare professionals, three youth and one caregiver. The first consideration was the centrality of psychologically safe, supportive, and trusting relationships within the delivery of trauma-informed care for youth and caregivers, and among healthcare staff and leadership implementing trauma-informed care. 

The second consideration was clarifying what elements to include in the trauma-informed care program, such as assessments, care plans, and programming. The third was factors that may help or hinder implementation of trauma-informed care, both on the mental health unit and hospital-wide, such as the physical environment and the delivery of staff training. 

The fourth was the importance of community partnerships to support youth post-discharge, and to enhance community-wide integration of trauma-informed care. The authors suggest seeking the perspectives of those affected by healthcare interventions can help lay the groundwork for effective shifts in care.

Authors: Yehudis Stokes, Paula Cloutier, Dhiraj Aggarwal, Jean Daniel Jacob, Andrea C. Tricco, Michelle K. Ward, Allison Kennedy, Stephanie Greenham, Marjorie Robb, Roxanna Sheppard, David Murphy, Jennifer Boggett, Ian D. Graham, Krystina B. Lewis

Funding: This study was funded by the CHEO Psychiatry Associates Research Fund

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