Evaluating trauma-informed care: child sexual abuse
Creators: Jin, Jonathan 
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2022

<p>The goal of the thesis is to contribute to advancements in the field of trauma-informed care in, particularly for individuals with a significant history of childhood adversity. This was conducted in three ways: </p>

<p>● Chapter 2 is original research, and an intended article, describing results from a mixed-method study using both quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques. This study evaluated long-term treatment outcomes for a trauma-informed multimodal residential treatment facility for child sexual abuse survivors called Little Warriors (<a href="https://littlewarriors.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://littlewarriors.ca/</a>). Child sexual abuse is common in our society and innovative treatment approaches are needed to combat adverse health consequences. Using an existing database from Little Warriors, a combination of parametric as well as non-parametric quantitative analyses found significant long-term improvements in anxiety, depression, PTSD, and quality of life. From the qualitative thematic analysis of caregiver responses, several gaps related to treatment were identified such as more support needed to help retention, moral injury, and secondary traumatic stress.</p>

<p>● Chapter 3 is original research, and an intended article, building off the mixed-methods paper described in chapter 2. This study specifically details the methodology for the innovative hybrid webinar/focus group used to engage caregivers of child sexual abuse survivors ethically and effectively. The COVID-19 pandemic added to difficulties in participant recruitment/engagement in child psychiatric studies, so we used a novel approach which took advantage of video conferencing technology and anonymous question and answer functions. The result was a positive engagement with a total of 20 participants. Key features identified in the qualitative thematic analysis included things such as more support needed for families during intake day of treatment enrolment, making sure that caregivers’ concerns or questions are sufficiently answered throughout intervention rounds, and also the availability of emotional support if families terminate treatment early.</p>

<p>● Chapter 4 is original research, and an intended article, describing the results from a scoping review related to reflective functioning in caregiver-child dyads. Emotional regulation is a key health determinant in child psychiatry and a related proxy measure, reflective functioning, was systematically mapped out to understand areas of research focus as well as areas that have been neglected in the literature. This study was initiated to investigate unique factors that contribute to holistic wellness in caregiver-child dyadic health, which align with key principles of trauma-informed care. A scoping review of the literature published up until September 2021 was completed: focusing on studies sampling parents of children 36 months of age or under. A variety of reflective functioning assessment and intervention studies were identified focusing primarily on mother-child dyads in the general population. 0 studies included measurements on gender identity and no studies were conducted in low to middle income countries.</p>

<p>Across these three chapters, the thesis attempts to demonstrate the benefits of trauma-informed care across several settings and several populations. This work has relevance for improving treatment outcomes in child and adolescent psychiatric interventions, improving caregiver-child dyadic health outcomes, and moving towards a culture of care that is more compassionate and ultimately more inclusive for those with a history of significant adversity.</p>