A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Trauma-Informed Care Within Outpatient and Counseling Health Settings for Young People. (August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bendall, Sarah; Eastwood, Oliver; Cox, Georgina; Farrelly-Rosch, Anna; Nicoll, Helen; Peters, Wilma; Bailey, Alan P.; McGorry, Patrick D.; Scanlan, Faye
• Is Part Of: Child maltreatment. Volume 26:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 313
• Page End: 324
• Publication Date: 2021-08
• Subjects: trauma-informed -- mental health -- young people -- youth -- counseling -- health; Child abuse -- Periodicals; Abused children -- Periodicals; 362.76
• DOI: 10.1177/1077559520927468
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-5595

Abstract

There is growing consensus that outpatient health services for young people (aged 12–25 years) need to deliver trauma-informed care to ameliorate the effects of trauma, offer safe treatments, and avoid retraumatization. Trauma-informed care has become a familiar term for many professionals; however, its operating definition lacks clarity. MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were systematically searched to clarify what trauma-informed care is, and what it should achieve in these settings. We reviewed 3, 381 unique records, of which 13 met criteria for inclusion. Content analysis identified 10 components of trauma-informed care as it has been operationalized in practice: seven of these occurred at the system-level (interagency collaboration; service provider training; safety; leadership, governance and agency processes; youth and family/carer choice in care; cultural and gender sensitivity; youth and family/carer participation), and three involved trauma-specific clinical practices (screening and assessment; psychoeducation; therapeutic interventions). There is a need for greater consensus regarding an operating definition of trauma-informed care and further research into outcomes for young people and their families/carers.