Canada--“People who have trauma histories are especially sensitive to interactions within health care,” explains Dr. Catherine Classen, director of the Women’s Mental Health Research Program at Women’s College Research Institute. “Because in seeking health care, there’s a real power differential. So it’s easy for a person with a trauma history to feel unsafe, to feel powerless, to feel like they don’t have a voice and sometimes to even feel re-traumatized....
"Among mental health professionals, there is a growing awareness of the need for trauma-informed care [TIC]. However, this awareness must extend to the entire health system.
“Health providers need to have some rudimentary knowledge of trauma and its impact, and how to work sensitively with patients,” Dr. Classen says. “We need to reach out and educate those health providers who are not aware of the incidence and long-term effects of psychological trauma and how that impacts health care delivery....”
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Dr. Classen. “With more than 260 attendees clamoring for more information about trauma and trauma-informed care, there’s clearly a growing sense of excitement and optimism.”
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