For Immediate Release
OAKLAND, Calif., March 15, 2024 — Innovation in trauma-informed health care is the core focus of a special section in today's issue of The Permanente Journal. The special section features 13 articles that touch on this increasingly prominent approach and reaches into several diverse subdomains such as mental health, physical health, body size diversity and systems-level implementation. Workplace wellness, clinician training and medical school curricula related to trauma are also covered in the issue.
Trauma-informed health care has grown in recognition in recent years and become an increasingly important aspect in care delivery.
A key finding of the original ACE Study conducted at Kaiser Permanente in 1998 showed that adverse childhood experiences — or "ACEs" — is associated with higher rates of preventable illness and premature death later in life. As patients and health care practitioners take notice, new research findings compel clinical practice to step up to meet the increasing demand for trauma-informed health care.
In total, the special section reflects the work of authors from 27 organizations, including Harvard Medical School, The Center for Collaborative Study of Trauma, Health Equity, and Neurobiology in Chicago, Emory University School of Medicine and others.
Highlighted articles in the special section include:
- Toward Integration of Trauma, Resilience, and Equity Theory and Practice: A Narrative Review and Call for Consilience (Sonu, Mann, Potter, Rush and Stillerman)
- Clinic Readiness for Trauma-Informed Health Care Is Associated With Uptake of Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (Machtinger, Eberhart, Ashwood, et al.)
- Time to Move Forward: Resilience and Trauma-Informed Care (Leitch and McCaw)
The special section is co-guest edited by Ellen Goldstein, PhD (University of Illinois College of Nursing), Audrey Stillerman, MD (University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine and Center for Collaborative Study of Trauma, Health Equity, and Neurobiology) and Martina Jelley, MD, MSPH (University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine).
