Event Type
Presentation
Start Date
12-8-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
12-8-2024 12:00 PM
Description
Abstract
Background: Trauma-informed care is a highly recommended treatment approach, but its application by occupational therapy practitioners remains underutilized, particularly in various rehabilitation settings serving adult clients with physical and/or neurological disorders. This exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study investigated occupational therapy practitioners' knowledge and use of trauma-informed care approaches with adults. The study also examined potential barriers and facilitators for implementing these harm-reduction strategies to prevent retraumatization.
Methods: A quantitative survey was designed to examine practitioner knowledge and implementation of trauma-informed care in adult practice settings. The survey was distributed electronically through the REDCap platform. However, only 32 out of the 39 survey respondents fully completed the survey. Survey data was analyzed using SPSS 2.0 ver.29.0.0 software. A qualitative phase was IRB approved, and a convenience sample of four participants were interviewed via Zoom. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed in a reflexive thematic analysis with hybrid coding involving inductive, deductive, and a priori coding. Common themes emerged and were correlated with our survey results.
Results: 25 survey respondents reported that barriers to implementation included lack of knowledge and resources for practicing trauma-informed techniques. 25 survey respondents also indicated that continuing education, training, and education on trauma-informed care strategies would facilitate its implementation. These findings support the pressing need for education and resources in trauma-informed care strategies. Analysis showed education and comfortability implementing trauma-informed care strategies being statistically significant for formal education, (p<.05, q=.4) and for continuing education (p<.01, q=.6). Three qualitative themes emerged focused on patients, practitioners, and organization generated from the literature review and all data collected. The themes that emerged respectively were: (a) managing negative behaviors and maladaptive responses proactively to prevent traumatization; (b) leveraging human capital (practitioner agency), fiscal resources, and organizational systems to facilitate knowledge translation; and (c) reducing barriers to address systemic issues in trauma-informed care, improves cohesiveness in service delivery, and improves standards of practice.
Conclusion: This descriptive study highlights the importance of providing education and resources in helping occupational therapy practitioners feel more confident in using trauma-informed care strategies despite its challenges in implementation. These insights into practitioner perceptions of training and competence suggest that further research is needed to promote trauma-informed care implementation to reduce the risk of re-traumatization in practice.
Keywords: trauma-informed care, occupational therapy, adult rehabilitation, neurological disorders, barriers, facilitators, mixed methods
Recommended Citation
Liang-Paultre, Y. L., Smich, A., Palou-Morales, M., Spangler, J., Fowler, A., & Spruill, D. (2024), Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care in Occupational Therapy: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study, Presentation, Eleventh Annual Research Colloquium, https://nsuworks.nova.edu/ot_colloquium/eleventh/events/4
Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care in Occupational Therapy: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study
Abstract
Background: Trauma-informed care is a highly recommended treatment approach, but its application by occupational therapy practitioners remains underutilized, particularly in various rehabilitation settings serving adult clients with physical and/or neurological disorders. This exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study investigated occupational therapy practitioners' knowledge and use of trauma-informed care approaches with adults. The study also examined potential barriers and facilitators for implementing these harm-reduction strategies to prevent retraumatization.
Methods: A quantitative survey was designed to examine practitioner knowledge and implementation of trauma-informed care in adult practice settings. The survey was distributed electronically through the REDCap platform. However, only 32 out of the 39 survey respondents fully completed the survey. Survey data was analyzed using SPSS 2.0 ver.29.0.0 software. A qualitative phase was IRB approved, and a convenience sample of four participants were interviewed via Zoom. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed in a reflexive thematic analysis with hybrid coding involving inductive, deductive, and a priori coding. Common themes emerged and were correlated with our survey results.
Results: 25 survey respondents reported that barriers to implementation included lack of knowledge and resources for practicing trauma-informed techniques. 25 survey respondents also indicated that continuing education, training, and education on trauma-informed care strategies would facilitate its implementation. These findings support the pressing need for education and resources in trauma-informed care strategies. Analysis showed education and comfortability implementing trauma-informed care strategies being statistically significant for formal education, (p<.05, q=.4) and for continuing education (p<.01, q=.6). Three qualitative themes emerged focused on patients, practitioners, and organization generated from the literature review and all data collected. The themes that emerged respectively were: (a) managing negative behaviors and maladaptive responses proactively to prevent traumatization; (b) leveraging human capital (practitioner agency), fiscal resources, and organizational systems to facilitate knowledge translation; and (c) reducing barriers to address systemic issues in trauma-informed care, improves cohesiveness in service delivery, and improves standards of practice.
Conclusion: This descriptive study highlights the importance of providing education and resources in helping occupational therapy practitioners feel more confident in using trauma-informed care strategies despite its challenges in implementation. These insights into practitioner perceptions of training and competence suggest that further research is needed to promote trauma-informed care implementation to reduce the risk of re-traumatization in practice.
Keywords: trauma-informed care, occupational therapy, adult rehabilitation, neurological disorders, barriers, facilitators, mixed methods