This Web site is a component of the SAMHSA Health Information Network
|
This Web site is a component of the SAMHSA Health Information Network |
 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This Web site is a component of the SAMHSA Health Information Network. |
|
Trauma Matters – February 2008The e-Newsletter from CMHS' National Center for Trauma-Informed Care
NCTIC Offers Information on Understanding and Treating Self-Inflicted ViolenceSelf-inflicted Violence (SIV) - the intentional wounding of one's own body without suicidal intent as a way of coping with the aftereffects of a traumatic experience - was once a secret epidemic. Recently, self-injurious behavior has gained greater attention in the mainstream press and popular media, but many misconceptions about why people injure themselves, as well as misinformation about how to heal this behavior, remain. Recognizing that knowledge is the first step in dealing with the unique challenges of SIV, the NCTIC web site now offers some educational material on the topic: Living With and Healing from Self-Injury and Self-Injury: Understanding and Responding to Those Who Live With Self-Inflicted Violence. Those who self-injure, the people who care about them, and caregivers will find useful information on this complex subject presented in a clear, concise question-and-answer format. Both six-page fact sheets were written by Ruta Mazelis, the publisher of The Cutting Edge, a newsletter for people living with SIV now in its eighteenth year. She addresses such issues as who self injures and why, what helps them heal (as well as what doesn't), and also provides resources for further assistance. Raising awareness and providing reliable information on SIV is key to the proper trauma-informed response to behavior. Most people living with SIV have experienced abuse of some form and have found intentional physical wounding of their body serves to temporarily manage many of the emotional struggles and overwhelming feelings common to survivors of abuse. Trauma-informed care recognizes the behavior as a symptom, acknowledges the needs it serves for the person as coping mechanism, and heals by addressing the trauma from which it is rooted. NCTIC sees a need to openly address this health issue. Accurate statistics on self-injury are hard to come by since most self-injurers conceal their behavior, but some studies estimate that as many as 4 percent of the U.S. population have at some time harmed themselves. In 2006 researchers at Cornell and Princeton universities reported that about 17 percent of college students who had participated in a joint study had inflicted some form of self-injury. Of that total, 20 percent were women and 14 percent were men. And fewer than 7 percent of the students studied had ever sought professional help for their behavior. Trauma-informed care presents not only a safe environment in which to talk about this behavior, but to explore the cause and promote healing. Cornell Researchers Find Early Life Trauma May Alter Stress Response, even in Healthy PeopleTrauma experienced earlier in life may result in long-term changes - even if the survivor doesn't develop a clinical disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) or depression. That's the surprising conclusion of a team of researchers at Cornell University's College of Human Ecology. Their study was recently published in a special issue of the Journal of Traumatic Stress, the official publication of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. "The findings suggest that there may be persistent differences in the stress response in some trauma-exposed people, even if they do not exhibit PTSD or depression or both, and even if their trauma was years in the past," notes Barbara Ganzel, a lecturer in human development in the College of Human Ecology. Ganzel led a team of researchers who assessed a group of women before and after they took their medical admissions tests (MCATs), a stressful experience for most people. Measuring levels of a stress hormone in saliva (cortisol), they found that women who had experienced trauma earlier in life (but who did not have PTSD or major depression) had lower levels of cortisol leading up to and after the MCAT exam. In addition, they found that the women who had experienced trauma kept a negative mood after the test, compared with other women, whose moods lifted significantly after the exams. Ganzel suspects that the stress response system in these women have compensated or changed over time. The trauma-exposed women showed lower rather than higher levels of cortisol, Ganzel theorized, because "stress initially boosts cortisol output but after the stressor is over, cortisol falls below normal. These data suggest that, in some people, it may fall below normal and stay there, or that it develops a chronic tendency to dip lower than normal under stress." The findings support the need for trauma-informed care in many areas of health and behavioral health services where survivors may seek services to address trauma-related symptoms as well as stress and anxiety. Self-awareness of how past traumatic experience can affect a survivor's response to stress is also important so that methods such as self soothing (i.e. meditation, exercise, aromatherapy, etc.) can be explored to reduce the symptoms. The research was supported by the College of Human Ecology, the Family Life Development Center and the Laboratory for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at Cornell, as well as by the National Institute of Mental Health. For more information visit www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Nov07/trauma.stress.reaction.sl.html. A. Kathryn Power Addresses New Seclusion and Restraint State Incentive GranteesThe Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) held a meeting for state grant recipients to explore alternatives to practices of seclusion and restraint. The January meeting featured remarks from CMHS Director, A. Kathryn Power. In her remarks to grantee representatives, Power highlighted the needed changes that promote consumer-driven, recovery-focused, and evidence-based systems of care for individuals with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. Looking at the "treatment failure" of seclusion and restraint, Power remarked "Individuals can't learn to manage their illnesses and their lives when they are under external control - either physical or chemical." The practice of seclusion and restraint is precisely the kind of "treatment" that trauma-informed care advocates against, as it is known to disempower the individual in treatment and create additional trauma. Power highlighted a public health approach - one where society collectively works together to assure conditions for people to be healthy - is based on the promotion of health and prevention of disease, which support the efforts to reduce and eliminate seclusion and restraint. Three elements were highlighted as critical to reducing this practice:
Newest Book in the Risking Connection® Series Helps Religious Leaders Minister to Those Suffering from TraumaA new book now offers clergy and lay leaders of all faiths help in ministering to the special needs of those suffering from traumatic experiences. Risking Connection in Faith Communities: A Training Curriculum for Faith Leaders Supporting Trauma Survivors focuses on the healing role that religious leaders can play in the lives of the trauma survivors in their congregations by offering a trauma-informed approach. Using the same training framework developed for its trauma-informed Risking Connection® training series, the Sidran Institute's latest publication takes a less clinical approach and pays more attention to the spiritual impact of trauma. The training program will help clergy understand the nature of psychological trauma, how it affects people, and how faith leaders can help by integrating trauma-informed practices. Religious leaders and their organizations are often at the front-line with survivors and families, providing a place of regular connection where support, discussion, understanding, and healing can be explored. The goal is not to turn clergy and faith-based helpers into therapists, but to better equip them as a crucial resource in their community for the support and healing of trauma survivors. The curriculum provides a path for implementing trauma-informed care, specific to the culture of faith communities. In addition to explaining the effects of trauma and concentrating on the need for growth-promoting relationships, the curriculum:
Although it focuses on support for survivors of interpersonal trauma, it also speaks to the issues related to care in the wake of any type of trauma, natural or man-made. The course can be used by an individual or as part of a workshop or continuing pastoral education. This curriculum is intended to be useful to faith leaders of the major religions and denominations in the United States, so the authors have attempted to ensure that all theological perspectives are confined to illustrative use in sidebar examples. Risking Connection in Faith Communities is available from Amazon or directly from the Sidran Institute (code RCFA) for a discount if ordered online. On-site training is available. Inspiring Book on Human Resilience Offers Insight on Self-HealingThe new book Healing Invisible Wounds: Paths to Hope and Recovery in a Violent World, written by Richard F. Mollica, MD, provides a visionary perspective on how individuals can learn to heal from the most violent traumas and go on to live meaningful lives. Mollica uses a story-driven approach to illustrate how wise trauma survivors are to their own experiences and what is needed to promote self-healing - what he views as a "human organism's natural response to psychological illness and injury." The "tools for recovery," including altruism, work, and spirituality, are highlighted for their restorative qualities. The book also notes the benefits of humor, social support, and physical exercise in helping survivors in healing psychologically. In this approach, the healing potential for survivors that can tell their stories is also recognized, while also honoring that this has to be done in a way that does not overwhelm the listener. Healing Invisible Wounds highlights the importance of cultural competency and understanding. It celebrates the courage, art, and uniqueness to each person's healing journey, while honoring the struggle experienced by many. The vivid stories, many from his own work with trauma survivors, demonstrate the hope and resilience for victims of all types of traumatic experiences. Healing Invisible Wounds uses an approach rooted in the principles of trauma-informed care, while also illustrating the pathways for self care and healing. Richard F. Mollica, MD, is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the director of the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma. Healing Invisible Wounds is available from Amazon. Calendar of Events2008 February 28-29 March 13-16 March 26-30 July 11-12 |
|
|
| Home | Contact Us | About Us | Awards | Accessibility | Privacy and Disclaimer Statement | Site Map |
