The effects of a specialized staff training on trauma-sensitivity in professionals working with patients with a psychotic disorder: A pilot study

ABSTRACT

Background

Studies show that the trauma-sensitivity of professionals working with patients with psychosis is insufficient. As a result, trauma-related problems remain undetected and untreated, which may impede recovery in this group. This study explored the effects of a specialised staff training on six trauma-sensitivity factors (i.e. knowledge, credibility, expected burden, harm expectancy, diagnostic competency and organizational support), self-reported trauma-sensitive behaviour and objective indicators of trauma-sensitive behaviour in medical files.

Method

Professionals (N = 56) rated the six trauma-sensitivity factors and their own trauma-sensitive behaviour at pre-training, post-training and at 6- and 12-months follow-up. Changes in indicators of trauma-sensitive behaviours were assessed by a review of medical files (N = 97).

Results

The specialized training increased knowledge, crediblity and experienced diagnostic compentence. The training decreased burden and harm expectancies, and enhanced self-reported trauma-sensitive behaviour. However, this positive change could not be objectified by indicators of trauma-sensitive behaviour in medical files.

Discussion

These findings support the notion that specialised training has a positive effect on increasing trauma-sensitivity and decreasing burden and harm expectancies, but not necessarily on observable trauma-sensitive behaviour. In addition to training staff, structural implementation and organisational support are argued to be essential to attain actual behaviour change.

KEYWORDS:

• Trauma
• training
• psychosis
• trauma-sensitivity
• implementation

Authors’ contributions

De Bont, Van der Vleugel, Van den Berg, Boonstra, and Visser designed the study and wrote the protocol. Visser conducted the literature search and the management of the study. Van den Berg, De Bont and Van der Vleugel designed the training, De Bont and Van der Vleugel delivered the training. Visser and Van der Vleugel were involved in the acquisition of data from the questionnaire, Visser was involved in the acquisition of data from the medical files, Boonstra supervised this process. Visser and Van den Berg conducted the statistical analyses and the interpretation. Visser wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to and approved the final manuscript.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the patients, the participants in the training, and advisors for their contributions. A special thanks goes to the research assistants for their loyal work in printing, anonymising and scoring all reports.

Disclosure statement

Van den Berg received income from published books on psychotic disorders. Van den Berg, De Bont and Van der Vleugel receive income from training postdoctoral professionals in trauma-informed and trauma-focused treatment in psychosis. Boonstra receives income from training postdoctoral professionals in the treatment of psychotic disorders. The other authors declare that they have nothing to disclose. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the authors’ institutions.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.