Healing Horizons: Weekly News & Research - September 19, 2024
Welcome to our weekly news show, Healing Horizons, hosted by experts Bri Twombly and Alison Cebulla. Dive into the most recent updates on trauma-informed care practices, positive and adverse childhood experiences, and the critical concept of psychological safety. Each episode is designed to keep you informed on the latest research, trends, and best practices in these essential areas. Whether you're a healthcare professional, educator, or simply passionate about mental health, our show provides valuable insights and practical advice. Stay tuned for in-depth discussions and expert interviews that will enhance your understanding and application of trauma-informed care and psychological safety.
Here are the news stories and research we featured:
How do you help young Afghan refugees heal? A new program in Maine offers a way
Boston College and the local non-profit Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services in the Lewiston-Auburn area launched an effort to support refugee parents and children in the United States, as a way to prevent long term mental health and behavioral problems
Trying to work with the family a lot earlier with a prevention focus and a mental health promotion focus
Their approach employs people who share the same language, culture and lived experience with newly arrived families. They receive training to provide evidence-based emotional, social and practical support to parents and children.
New center to aid children who have been abused opens in San Luis Obispo
A new center for children who have been psychologically physically or sexually abused.
It’s a collaborative effort under the district attorney's office with the Center for Family Strengthening, the county's Health Agency and its Child Welfare Services, the sheriff’s office, the suspected abuse response team, victim assistance center, and local law enforcement agencies.
“Families can come to one location and have forensic interviews, medical examiners and childcare services all in one location,” said Katie Robinson, child abuse interview team manager with the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.
The building has multiple rooms: a playroom, family room, consultation room, office areas, family advocates, behavioral health specialists, medical staff, and a child abuse interview team.
“All of the services come to the child. In the past, children have had to go from department to department to department to have all the services and that alone is really daunting for anyone but particularly a vulnerable child."
A new paper for workforce leaders from nonprofits Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and InsideTrack provides recommendations for mitigating trauma and toxic stress for learners and workers
This paper shares recommendations for workforce and higher education leaders addressing the complex needs of individuals grappling with trauma and toxic stress as they navigate education, workforce development and social services systems on the pathway to achieving economic stability and employment.
The white paper delves into the definitions and impacts of trauma and toxic stress, highlighting how these experiences affect individuals pursuing education and employment. It presents data on the prevalence and effects of trauma, particularly within marginalized communities, and emphasizes the need for comprehensive trauma-informed care in education and workforce development.
an overall drop in average living years from 71.8 years in 2019 to 65.2 by the end of 2021.
Even before COVID-19 emerged, life expectancy for Indigenous men was already five years lower than for non-Hispanic white men in the United States.
Additional factors:
Native Americans have the highest poverty rate among all minority groups, perhaps as high as 25%.
Unemployment among American Indians and Alaska Natives in November 2022 was 6.2%, compared to 3.7% in the general population.
American Indians and Alaska Natives are also underserved in the U.S. health care system.
Adverse childhood experiences, social marginalization and toxic, relentless stress also contribute to shorter lives.
Then there are the effects of unresolved historical trauma – the cumulative emotional and psychological trauma within a specific group that spans generations.
A National Snapshot of Training and Technical Assistance Needs Within the Mental Health Workforce
Psychiatric Services, September 2024
This report summarizes results from a national survey that aimed to assess the training and technical assistance needs of individuals who work in mental health.
A survey was distributed to mental health workers by 10 regional centers of a large, nationwide, federally funded training and technical assistance network during January–October 2021.
A total of 2,321 individuals from 58 states and territories responded to the survey.
The three training and technical assistance needs they indicated most frequently were equitable and culturally responsive services, co-occurring mental and substance use disorders, and mental health awareness and literacy.
The survey findings reflect the continued need to address inequities in mental health services, particularly for communities of color.
In addition, a cluster of topics (i.e., mental health awareness and literacy, trauma-informed care, crisis services, grief, and provider well-being) stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the nation’s mental health.
To support children, support the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers
The future of our children is closely tied to the support available to their parents and other caregivers. Recent commitments from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek highlight the urgent need for comprehensive support systems to address the intense stress faced by modern parents.
The report also noted, nearly half of parents find their daily stress overwhelming, compared to 26% of other adults. Unique stressors for parents, the report notes, include financial strain, time demands, and concerns about children’s health and safety. Factors such as parental isolation, technology, and cultural pressures also contribute.
Parental caregiver stress impacts their own mental well-being and, by extension, their children’s development. Many parents lack adequate support, leading to isolation and burnout.
This study examined and assessed the acceptability of high-risk HPV (hrHPV) self-collection among individuals who have experienced intimate partner violence
16 participants living in Oregon
This study identified key themes describing knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer screening for individuals who have experienced intimate partner violence. They include: guideline knowledge, prior office-based cervical cancer screening experience, barriers to cervical cancer screening, at-home self-collection experience, and testing confidence.
Individuals with a history of intimate partner violence have lower rates of cervical cancer screening adherence and higher rates of cervical dysplasia and cancer than other populations.
Participants experienced fewer barriers and expressed increased comfort and control with the self-collection process.
The patient-centered approach of self-collection for cervical cancer screening can reduce barriers related to the pelvic exam and empower patients to reduce their risks of developing cervical cancer by enabling greater control of the testing process.
Future considerations for implementation and impact of community narrative initiatives
American Journal of Community Psychology, September 2024
The special issue presents a set of papers examining efforts to use narrative change to address ACEs.
Recommendations about including and amplifying voices of those with lived experience in policy.
Narrative change themes related to resilience and strengths of communities.
Recommendation to use research models of resilience to increase uptake of narrative change.
Current Psychology, September 2024
This study explored the impact of ACEs on psychopathic and altruistic traits, considering participants’ coping strategies
A total of 420 young Spanish adults (18–20 years old, M = 18.92
total ACEs and avoidant emotion-focused coping (especially among males) were associated with higher psychopathic traits.
total ACEs and problem-focused coping (particularly among females) were linked to altruism
It is crucial to promote secure environments in childhood that facilitate the development of adaptive coping strategies. These strategies can mitigate the long-term effects of ACEs, reducing the likelihood of developing psychopathic traits while simultaneously increasing altruism.
Neurocognition and academic achievement among bereaved children in the Generation R Cohort
Scientific Reports, September 2024
Childhood bereavement is an adverse event, yet children demonstrate considerable variability in health outcomes.
Using data from the population-based Generation R Study wherein nearly 10,000 pregnant mothers were recruited between 2002 and 2006
Bereavement by 10 years of age was experienced by n = 796
There were no differences in academic achievement or other subtests of neurocognitive function between bereaved and non-bereaved children.
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, January 2025
Researchers examined how a variety of different early-life stressors affect disease biology and health
They also investigated the extent to which these associations differed for males vs. females.
obtained data from 2,111 participants (54.8% female, Mage = 53.04) in the US
Participants reported on the types and severity of adverse childhood experiences they experienced, including financial distress, abuse, neglect, how often they moved, whether they lived away from their biological parents, and whether they had been on welfare. Additionally, participants provided biological samples for calculating 25 disease biomarkers and indicated whether they had ever been diagnosed with any of twenty major health conditions.
The researchers, led by UCLA Health, found that a person's sex and their unique experiences of childhood trauma can have specific consequences for their biological health and risk of developing 20 major diseases later in life.
The result was two stressor classes for males (High Stress and Low Stress) and three for females (High Stress, Moderate Stress, and Low Stress.) Overall, those in the low-stress classes exhibited the fewest major health issues, with participants' risk increasing as their stressor exposure increased.
‘Fauxductivity’: Your Boss Might Fake It More Than You, New Survey Finds
A new study from Workhuman uncovers what they call “fauxductivity”—or fake productivity, highlighting how misaligned perceptions and top-down pressures are creating a toxic culture of performative work.
According to their findings, the majority of employees (67%) deny faking activity. But almost half of managers (48%) say it’s a common issue on their team. According to the report, fauxductivity is happening among managers and the C-suite executives at higher rates.
The majority of managers blame either distractions (56%) or burnout/low well-being (53%) for faking, and 40% cite personal responsibilities while 33% say it’s laziness. The managers who admit faking productivity say it was a desire for work-life balance, to appease management or burnout.
The research also spoke about “Productivity anxiety”—the feeling employees have that they must be “always on” and that there’s always more they should be doing. The researcher found it is pervasive in the workplace in the US. Over 50% of respondents report they’re expected to immediately respond to all Slacks, messages or emails, and 52% say they’re expected to be flexible with their working hours to accommodate after-hours meetings.
