This post offers a curated list of articles toolkits, white papers, and other resources that offer how adaptations for individuals with trauma history of evidence-based practices is critical to ensure relevance and effectiveness. Click on the toggle for any reference to view a brief summary of the document, its source, and an active link for access.
Healthcare Toolbox. (n.d.). What is culturally-sensitive trauma-informed care?
Overview: Guidance provided for pediatric healthcare professionals about key components and the implementation of culturally-sensitive trauma-informed care.
Healthcare Toolbox. (n.d.). What is culturally-sensitive trauma-informed care? https://www.healthcaretoolbox.org/culturally-sensitive-trauma-informed-care
Ranjbar, N., Erb, M., Mohammad, O., & Moreno, F. A. (2020). Trauma-informed care and cultural humility in the mental health care of people from minoritized communities
Abstract: The prevalence and impact of trauma constitute a public health crisis that is complicated by the cultural heterogeneity of contemporary society and a higher rate of trauma among individuals from minoritized communities. A trauma-informed care approach can facilitate improved treatment of those who have experienced trauma, and trauma-informed care is increasingly viewed as potentially beneficial for all patients. This article outlines general principles of trauma-informed care and ways to enact it. Because the situations in which trauma arises, the ways in which it is conceptualized, and how patients respond to it are influenced by both culture and individual factors, a cultural humility approach is also described and recommended. Psychiatrists can navigate the complex terrain of cultures and social backgrounds in the clinical encounter and can promote healing when treating patients who have experienced trauma by adopting a trauma-informed care approach and an attitude of cultural humility.
Ranjbar, N., Erb, M., Mohammad, O., & Moreno, F. A. (2020). Trauma-informed care and cultural humility in the mental health care of people from minoritized communities. Focus, 18(1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20190027
Rauch, S. A. M., Kim, H. M., Acierno, R., Ragin, C., Wangelin, B., Blitch, K., Muzzy, W., Hart, S., & Zivin, K. (2023). Improving function through primary care treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder study outcomes: A randomized controlled trial of prolonged exposure for primary care in veterans
Abstract: Despite high cost and wide prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veteran populations, and Veterans Health Administration (VA)-wide mental health provider training in evidence-based treatments for PTSD, most veterans with PTSD do not receive best practices interventions. This may be because virtually all evidence-based PTSD treatment is offered through specialty clinics, which require multiple steps and referrals to access. One solution is to offer PTSD treatment in VA primary care settings, which are often the first and only contact point for veterans. Method: The present study, Improving Function Through Primary Care Treatment of PTSD (IMPACT), used a randomized controlled design to compare an adaptation of prolonged exposure for PTSD to primary care (PE-PC) versus best practices Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) clinic treatment as usual (TAU) in terms of both functioning and psychological symptoms in 120 veterans recruited between April 2019 and September 2021. Results: Participants were mostly males (81.7%) with a mean age of 43.6 years (SD = 12.8), and more than half were non-White veterans (50.8%). Both conditions evinced significant improvement over baseline across functioning, PTSD, and depression measures, with no differences observed between groups. As observed in prior studies, PTSD symptoms continued to improve over time in both conditions, as measured by structured clinical interview. Discussion: Both PE-PC and best-practices TAU are effective in improving function and reducing PTSD severity and depression severity. Although we did not observe differences between the two treatments, note that this study site and two PCMHI clinics employ primarily cognitive behavioral therapies (e.g., exposure and behavioral activation).
Rauch, S. A. M., Kim, H. M., Acierno, R., Ragin, C., Wangelin, B., Blitch, K., Muzzy, W., Hart, S., & Zivin, K. (2023). Improving function through primary care treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder study outcomes: A randomized controlled trial of prolonged exposure for primary care in veterans. Families, Systems, & Health, 41(4), 502–513. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000823