Interventions to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in vulnerably housed populations and trauma-informed care: A scoping review
By Alexandria Bennett, Kien Crosse, Michael Ku, Amanda Hodgson, and Simon Hatcher
Core Principle of Trauma-Informed Care, adapted from he Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s “Guiding Principles of Trauma-Informed Care" (2014)
A trauma-informed care approach acknowledges that we need a complete picture of a person’s life (both past and present) to be able to provide healthcare that is focused on healing. The Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center explains that this approach understands that the impacts of trauma are widespread looks to identify signs and symptoms of this in patients, family, and staff; uses knowledge about trauma to inform an organization’s policies and procedures; and, actively avoids re-traumatizing individuals.
The goal of this study was to identity interventions that treat both post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) and complex PTSD in homeless or vulnerably housed people and assess whether these interventions adopted a trauma-informed care approach. To do this, we conducted a scoping review and searched relevant online databases to identify studies that examined the treatment of PTSD in homeless or vulnerably housed people.
We found 28 studies that fit our criteria. Of these, only 10 studies described trauma-informed care. These tended to emphasize the importance of physical and emotional safety, the experience of feeling heard and understood, and the importance of choice. These studies also highlighted some of the challenges with providing care to homeless or vulnerably housed populations, including finding the right space for therapy visits, high rates of substance use, difficulty following up participants who do not have a fixed address, and high staff turnover.
Our review showed that there is a lack of high-quality studies that address the problem of PTSD and/or complex PTSD among homeless and vulnerably housed populations. Clinical trials that take a trauma-informed care approach to address the needs of this unique population are badly needed.
To read this article in full, please visit: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051079.