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Trauma-informed care is a new method of treatment that seeks to explore the idea that patients need to have traumatizing factors in their lives acknowledged and processed in order to both effectively address other health concerns that may be present, and promote future well-being. Incorporating practices of mindfulness, a method in which one meditates and focuses on maintaining self-peace, as well as trauma-informed care into the clinical treatment being provided increases the ability of patients to effectively cope with the things that may have happened to them and allows them to feel empowered to take control of their lives.
Methods:
Twenty-four women within the B’more Fit intervention program simultaneously started Trauma-Informed care sessions. A psychologist from the Sage Wellness Center facilitated the sessions. The eight sessions included concepts from the Circle of Security model, as well as from the Stages of Change Model. The women’s weight was recorded during their involvement in the program and then compared to the weight of women that were only in the weight loss section of the program.
Results:
Of the 8 total sessions for the 24 participants, approximately 52.4% of participants went to 4 or more of the sessions. Participants that went to 4 or more sessions also on average lost more weight (-4.7 lbs. vs. the -2.5 from the overall program). In each of these group sessions the participants discussed how exposure to chronic traumatic situations causes individuals to normalize unhealthy situations, and reflected on how this impacted their lives. From the qualitative data collected, women stated that they found a way to “maintain peace” both in and out of the sessions.
Conclusion:
In summary, based on the qualitative data (testimonies from participants), participants overall seemed to leave the sessions with a better understanding of themselves, and in general felt better equipped to handle issues that happened both in their past and their present. After participants went through sessions, they also seemed to have a better understanding of how trauma affects their own health and the health of their children. Participants taking part in the mindfulness exercises also seemed to lose more weight than those not in the group, but more research would need to be done to confirm this association.