While many of us involved in this work are aware of the importance of understanding the impact that diagnoses like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—a mental health condition which results in coping difficulties following traumatic experiences—and other trauma related disorders can have on people’s lives, the reality is that many still lack necessary awareness.
As we, in our roles as professionals, allies, advocates, and educators celebrate PTSD awareness month and work to engage those around us in conversations about PTSD and its impacts, it is crucial we capitalize on the heightened visibility of a topic that effects so many. While many celebrities have surely helped highlight the prevalence of trauma and the importance of being more trauma-informed in our day-to-day interactions, the stigma surrounding PTSD and traumatic stress responses continue to serve as barriers to those wounded most from its impacts.
As we work to make the most out of PTSD awareness month, let us consider a few questions.
What does PTSD Awareness month mean for advocates? It means we have all been fighting the “good fight” to make sure others are aware of the impact trauma can have on the people who experience it, those closest to them, and communities at large. It means that years of tireless work, research, and growing science are contributing to changing the narrative and stigma associated with trauma. It also means that those appointed to positions of responsibility and power are becoming more open to having necessary conversations about what needs to be done to aid in the healing of communities.
How can we capitalize on this opportunity? We should continue to share our knowledge, data, and research with those outside of our typical spheres of influence. When we think about trauma and PTSD it is easy to find ourselves navigating the same circles, discussing trauma and PTSD with those in mental health or adjacent fields like child welfare, education, law enforcement, and juvenile justice. However, the impacts of trauma have a reverberating effect throughout our society. PTSD Awareness month urges us to help others in seemingly unrelated arenas understand the penetrable effects of trauma.
Who else is trauma affecting? By answering uncommon questions like, “how can trauma effect the economic health of a community?” we can help engage atypical listeners like business owners and others understand the far- and wide-reaching impacts trauma has at all levels. A study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2012 that looked at average lifetime costs showed productivity loss associated with child maltreatment is estimated at $83.5 billion dollars (Fang et al., 2012). In addition, mis diagnosis of trauma can also have detrimental impacts. Not only resulting in diagnosis that tend to “blame” individuals for traumatic response reactions, but also in costly ineffective treatment. In the same study, increased healthcare costs associated with trauma were estimated at $25 billion dollars (Fang et al., 2012).
Therefore, investing in adequate trauma-informed prevention services can not only lead to healing for children and families but can result in cost savings that allow for more innovative approaches to healing our communities as well. In fact, Benchmarks’ PFE—an initiative that aligns child welfare and behavioral health systems to improve the delivery of trauma-informed services to child welfare-involved youth—has seen outcomes in line with this research. Among project sites, following PFE, PTSD and other non-behaviorally driven diagnosis such as general and stress related adjustment disorders increased while decreases were seen in diagnosis such as ADHD, conduct, and mood disorders. Additionally, these diagnostic changes were accompanied by major cost savings of $1.4 million dollars for children in custody and over $500,000 for children involved with In-Home Family Services over a 24-month period.
Other research also shows strong correlations between ACEs and unemployment, work performance, work related injuries, and disability related absences, furthering the notion that trauma does not exist in a vacuum and by not addressing it, implications can have costs far beyond the individual (Stevens, 2012; Liu,2013; Anda et al, 2004).
Based on the outcomes seen in our work as well as related research, we see that it truly “pays” to invest in trauma-related prevention that prevents children and their families from “failing up the system.” We at Benchmarks are excited to be partnering with agencies across the state that understand the importance and impact that trauma can have on our children, parents, and communities. This month we hope our partners join us in continuing to spread trauma and PTSD awareness.
References
Fang, X., Brown, D. S., Florence, C. S., & Mercy, J. A. (2012). The economic burden of child maltreatment in the United States and implications for prevention. Child Abuse & Neglect, 36(2), 156–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.10.006
Stevens, J. E. (2012, August 27). Adverse childhood experiences affect unemployment; maté: Childhood trauma is universal template for addiction; "Runaway girl" - from street life to MBA. ACEs Too High. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from https://acestoohigh.com/2012/0...-street-life-to-mba/
Liu, Y., Croft, J. B., Chapman, D. P., Perry, G. S., Greenlund, K. J., Zhao, G., & Edwards, V. J. (2013). Relationship between adverse childhood experiences and unemployment among adults from five U.S. states. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 48(3), 357–369. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0554-1
Anda RF, Fleisher VI, Felitti VJ, et al. Childhood Abuse, Household Dysfunction, and Indicators of Impaired Adult Worker Performance. Perm J. 2004;8(1):30-38. doi:10.7812/tpp/03-089
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