scholarly journals A Science of Hope? Tracing Emergent Entanglements between the Biology of Early Life Adversity, Trauma-informed Care, and Restorative Justice

2020 ◽  
pp. 016224392097409
Author(s):  
Ruth Müller ◽  
Martha Kenney
Keyword(s):  
Restorative Justice ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Trauma Informed Care ◽  
Trauma Informed

The biology of early life adversity explores how social experiences early in life affect physical and psychological health and well-being throughout the life course. In our previous work, we argued that narratives emerging from and about this research field tend to focus on harm and lasting damage with little discussion of reversibility and resilience. However, as the Science and Technology Studies literature has demonstrated, scientific research can be actively taken up and transformed as it moves through social worlds. Drawing on fieldwork with actors in education and juvenile corrections in the US Pacific Northwest, we found that they employed the biology of early life adversity not only to promote prevention but also to argue for changes within their own institutions that would allow them to better serve children and youth who have experienced adversity and trauma. Our study shows that biosocial narratives are neither inherently liberatory nor inherently oppressive but that the situated narrative choreographies in which they are enrolled are essential for their political effects. In our case, we show how these biosocial narratives have been articulated with knowledge and practices from restorative justice and trauma-informed care to reimagine the social meaning of the biology of early life adversity.

scholarly journals CUMULATIVE DISADVANTAGE OF EARLY-LIFE ADVERSITY AND HEALTH IN MIDLIFE AND LATER ADULTHOOD

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S350-S351
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Kong ◽  
Agus Surachman ◽  
Deborah Carr
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Physical And Psychological Health

Abstract Cumulative dis/advantage (CDA) framework is one of the most influential theoretical frameworks in understanding how early adversity creates health disparities across adulthood. The CDA model posits that adverse experiences early in life may lead to subsequent adversities over time and accumulates across the life course. Various studies have shown that middle-aged and later adulthood are periods when accumulated disadvantages proliferate, resulting in heightened risks for an individual’s health and well-being. This symposium includes four presentations that build on such existing knowledge, and its primary aim was to further examine the complexity of how various types of adverse childhood experiences may influence physical and psychological health in middle and later adulthood. This symposium addresses a wide range of early adversities, including low socioeconomic status, parental maltreatment, and household dysfunctions. The four presentations also focus on examining various aspects of physical and psychological health outcomes in later adulthood, including measures of body mass index, physical functional ability, somatic symptoms, and clinical risk for rapid declines in kidney function. Furthermore, these presentations will demonstrate the utilization of innovative and robust methodological approaches, including latent class analysis, multilevel structural equation modeling, and latent growth modeling on examining the association between early life adversity on the long-term trajectory of change in health status using large-scale longitudinal data. Lastly, this symposium consists of an outstanding group of multidisciplinary presenters with diverse backgrounds who aim to enhance the understanding of the processes and mechanisms of CDA and how they affect individuals’ life courses.

scholarly journals Implementing trauma-informed care through social innovation in child welfare residential treatment centres serving elementary school children

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 222-232
Author(s):  
Denise Brend ◽  
Nicolas Fréchette ◽  
Arnaud Milord-Nadon ◽  
Tim Harbinson ◽  
Delphine Collin-Vezina
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Residential Treatment ◽  
Complex Trauma ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Worker Attitudes ◽  
Trauma Informed Care ◽  
Trauma Informed

Objectives: This article presents the theoretical basis, initial deployment strategies, and resulting preliminary findings of a program implemented in residential treatment centres (RCs) in child welfare. “Program Penguin” aimed to help workers develop trauma-informed attitudes and implement trauma-informed practices, make the workplace more responsive to the well-being of RC workers, and reduce the use of restraints and seclusion among school-aged children in RCs. Methods: Informed by the theories of complex trauma (National Child Traumatic Stress Network Complex Trauma Task Force, 2003), polyvicitimization (Finkelhor et al., 2007), Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency (ARC; Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2018) and Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS; Sugai & Horner, 2002), Program Penguin was developed and deployed using the social innovation approach (Fixsen et al. 2005). The key stages of social innovation will here be used to describe the implementation process. Results: Changes in practices were observed, RC worker attitudes towards trauma-informed care were assessed and showed strong effects between multiple covariables. RC worker support needs were identified, and a reduction in the use of restraints and seclusions was shown. Key strategies towards the development and maintenance of buy-in and meaningful change in practices are also described. Implications: Changes observed at all levels of this implementation suggest Programme Penguin is a promising approach, despite local issues that arose and the challenges inherent to program deployment within child protection settings. It appears a trauma-informed program using positive behavioural approaches and leveraging existing organizational strengths may impact intervention strategies, worker attitudes, and the use of restraints and seclusions against children in RCs.

Trauma-informed care in the context of intellectual and developmental disability services: Perceptions of service providers

2020 ◽  
pp. 174462952091808
Author(s):  
Amanda J Rich ◽  
Nikki DiGregorio ◽  
Carla Strassle
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Trauma Informed Care ◽  
High Staff Turnover ◽  
Trauma Informed

Traumatic life events have pervasive impacts on health and well-being. A growing body of literature shows that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are disproportionately impacted by trauma. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a philosophy of service provision that is committed to preventing traumatization and re-traumatization and promoting healing. This study explores the perceptions of 130 leaders in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities services on the adoption and practice of TIC through the analysis of quantitative data. Results indicated a disconnect between the level of TIC integration and perceptions detailing how well organizations are currently performing in aspects of TIC. Barriers to TIC included high staff turnover, lack of accessible mental health providers, lack of affordable training, stigma, and restrictive funding structures. Implications and recommendations for service organizations and educators are provided.

scholarly journals Early-Life Adversity Accelerates Child and Adolescent Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Belsky
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Development ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Accelerated Aging ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cellular Aging ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Developmental Experiences

Most developmental work regards adverse developmental experiences as forces that undermine well-being. Here, I present an alternative—or complementary—view, summarizing recent evidence on puberty, endocrinology, cellular aging, and brain connectivity that collectively reveals developmental acceleration in response to contextual adversity. Findings are cast in evolutionary-developmental terms, highlighting the trade-off between accelerated aging and (a) increased morbidity and (b) premature mortality.

Healing-Informed Social Justice Mathematics: Promoting Students’ Sociopolitical Consciousness and Well-Being in Mathematics Class

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 1179-1209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Kokka
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Mathematics Classroom ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Trauma Informed Care ◽  
Sociopolitical Consciousness ◽  
Public Middle School ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Social Justice Mathematics

Using an ecological approach to trauma-informed care and radical healing, this case study explores how one Title I public middle school mathematics classroom offered students opportunities to engage in healing practices through the use of Social Justice Mathematics. Findings indicate that students identified their emotions, engaged in structural analyses of local social issues, and expressed plans to take action. This study suggests the possibility of using a Healing-Informed Social Justice Mathematics approach to support development of students’ sociopolitical consciousness, mathematics learning, and well-being.

scholarly journals Trauma-Informed Care in Child Welfare: An Imperative for Residential Childcare Workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Michelle Brend ◽  
Ginny Sprang
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Child Welfare Professionals ◽  
Trauma Informed Care ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Childcare Workers ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Residential Childcare

Context: Rates of traumatization among residential child welfare professionals are alarmingly high. The well-being of these professionals is associated both with their intention to stay in their jobs and outcomes of children in their care. Several risk factors threaten the well-being of child welfare professionals, including primary and secondary exposure to experiences with the potential to provoke posttraumatic stress reactions. Objectives: This manuscript details experiences empirically shown to have potential negative impacts on professional well-being, discusses why these impacts are of particular concern for residential childcare workers, and describes the types of organizational cultures and climates that appear to mitigate these negative impacts. Implications: Trauma-informed care at the organizational level is proposed both as a means to reduce harm to child-welfare professionals and promote the rehabilitation of children within the child welfare system.

Post-incident debriefing, team formulation and staff support

2019 ◽  
pp. 219-228
Author(s):  
Claudia Kustner
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Staff Support ◽  
Support Intervention ◽  
Inpatient Mental Health ◽  
Trauma Informed Care ◽  
Constant Change ◽  
Trauma Informed

Acute inpatient mental health wards are characterized by constant change. The creation and maintenance of facilitated talking spaces for teams to reflect with each other is integral for both staff and service user well-being on these wards. There is a growing evidence base that supports the client-centred philosophy and principles of trauma-informed care whereby service users’ strengths are highlighted over pathology and skills building over symptom reduction. A systemic team formulation model is proposed as a useful, trauma-informed, staff support intervention that could be used on the wards, as it offers numerous intra- and interpersonal benefits for teams that engage in the process of shared formulations. A case example illustrating the methodology of systemic team formulation is explored. In addition, post-incident debriefing is also a necessary form of staff support, as a way of mitigating the negative emotional impact of serious untoward incidents and restrictive practices on staff.

scholarly journals Adult Personal Network Characteristics Associated with Early Life Adversity

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 924-924
Author(s):  
Janae Briggs ◽  
Stephanie Child
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personal Network ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Subjective Assessments ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Close Family

Abstract Early life adversity (ELA) is associated with poor health through social and economic pathways. ELA also shapes cognitive and emotional development, including self-perception, social attachment and mental well-being. As such, ELA may shape later life health through social relationships, yet few studies have examined these associations. Data from the UC Berkeley Social Network Study were used to examine ELA measured retrospectively and current personal network characteristics among young (21-30 years) and older adults (50-70 years). ELA was operationalized as a summary of six experiences occurring before age 18 (e.g., parents’ divorce/separation, violence/drug use in the home, etc.). Personal network characteristics included objective measures, such as the number of ties who provide or receive various types of support, and subjective assessments about the adequacy of support received. Multivariate regression models adjusted for gender, race/ethnicity, and level of education. Among young adults, ELA was associated with more ties who rely upon the ego for support (b=0.15, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.28, p=0.02). Among older adults, ELA was associated with more ties named as either an advisor (b=0.14, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.21, p=0.02) or difficult/demanding (b=0.12, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.21, p<0.01). Furthermore, ELA was associated with less confidence in family support available (b= -0.09, 95% CI: -0.16, -0.03, p<0.01) and fewer emotionally close family members (b= -0.18, 95% CI: -0.32, -0.03, p=0.02) among older adults. In conclusion, clear differences emerged in network characteristics by exposure to ELA, particularly among older adults. The findings highlight potential pathways through which ELA patterns later life health.

Early Adversity, Symptoms of Depression and Breastfeeding

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S30-S30
Author(s):  
W. Jonas ◽  
A. Fleming ◽  
M. Steiner ◽  
M.J. Meaney ◽  
L. Atkinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Breastfeeding Duration ◽  
Gene Marker ◽  
Early Adversity ◽  
Social Emotional Development ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Duration Of Breastfeeding

BackroundThere is considerable variation in the prevalence of breastfeeding, which allows for investigation of factors that influence the initiation and duration of breastfeeding and its association with well being of the mother infant dyad.AimsTo better understand factors that influence (1) maternal breastfeeding status and (2) the “effects” of breastfeeding on mothers and infants.MethodsParticipants (n = 170) derive from a longitudinal Canadian study “Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment (MAVAN)”, a project designed to understand the pre- and postnatal influences on maternal health and child social-emotional development. Mothers provided data on breastfeeding status, early life adversity, oxytocin gene and oxytocin gene receptor polymorphisms, depression/anxiety, infant temperament and maternal sensitivity.ResultsEarly life adversity associated with a shorter breastfeeding duration and higher maternal depression levels. The relation between mothers’ early adversity and the duration of breastfeeding was mediated by mothers’ depression level, but only in women carrying one variant of the oxytocin rs2740210 gene marker (CC genotype). Mothers who breastfeed at 3 months acted more sensitively towards their infants when they were 6 months old and they in turn had infants who at 18 months showed reduced negative affectivity.ConclusionWomen who have been exposed to early adversity are “living with the past” and they are, to certain extent, protected or more vulnerable to depression, depending on their genotype. Breastfeeding associated with higher maternal sensitivity, which associated with decreased negative emotionality in the infant at 18 months. Our results help to clarify associations between early life experiences, breastfeeding, and the mother-infant relationship.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Early life adversity as a predictor of sense of purpose during adulthood

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick L. Hill ◽  
Nicholas A. Turiano ◽  
Anthony L. Burrow
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Positive Aging ◽  
Sense Of Purpose ◽  
Potential Factors ◽  
Using Data

Feeling a sense of purpose in life appears to hold consistent benefits for positive aging and well-being. As such, it is important to consider the potential factors that promote or hinder the development of purposefulness over the lifespan. For instance, it remains unclear whether early life experiences, particularly adverse ones, may hold lasting influences on whether one feels purposeful into adulthood. The current study examined whether early life adversity predicted a diminished sense of purpose in adulthood using data from participants ( N = 3835) in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Reports of early life adversity were associated with lower levels of purpose in adulthood, and chronological age failed to moderate this relationship.

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