An evaluation of a trauma-informed educational intervention to enhance therapeutic engagement and reduce coercive practices in a child and adolescent inpatient mental health unit

Sinéad Heffernan; Maria O'Malley; Margaret Curtin; Andrew Hawkins; Rachel Murphy; John Goodwin; Karen Barry; Alice Taylor; Brenda Happell; Áine O' Donovan

doi:10.1111/inm.13299

Back

An evaluation of a trauma-informed educational intervention to enhance therapeutic engagement and reduce coercive practices in a child and adolescent inpatient mental health unit

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

An evaluation of a trauma-informed educational intervention to enhance therapeutic engagement and reduce coercive practices in a child and adolescent inpatient mental health unit

Sinéad Heffernan, Maria O'Malley, Margaret Curtin, Andrew Hawkins, Rachel Murphy, John Goodwin, Karen Barry, Alice Taylor, Brenda Happell and Áine O' Donovan

International journal of mental health nursing, Vol.33(4), pp.978-991

08/2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13299

PMID: 38291645

Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications

Files and links (2)

pdf

An evaluation of a trauma-informed educational intervention to enhance therapeutic engagement and reduce coercive practices in a child and adolescent inpatient mental health unit431.51 kBDownload View

Published (Version of record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access

url

An evaluation of a trauma-informed educational intervention to enhance therapeutic engagement and reduce coercive practices in a child and adolescent inpatient mental health unitView

Published (Version of record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open

Metrics

15 Record Views

See more details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: InCites

Abstract

trauma

coercive practices

mental health nursing

education

mental health services

trauma-informed practice

inpatient

children and adolescents

High-risk behaviours are sometimes encountered in Child and Adolescent inpatient mental health units and can prompt the use of coercive practices to maintain safety. Coercive practices may lead to re-traumatisation of young people and deteriorating therapeutic relationships. Trauma-informed practice (TIP) has successfully reduced coercive practices. While education is identified as foundational to implementation, evaluations of programmes remain minimal. The aim of this study was to explore mental health professionals' views and experiences of a trauma-informed education programme and its likely impact on their approach to practice. Five mental health professionals agreed to participate, four contributed in a focus group and one in an individual interview. Data were analysed thematically using the Braun and Clarke Framework. Three main themes were identified. Firstly, shifting attitudes and perceptions of trauma-informed practice. Participants believed they had developed more compassion towards clients and these attitudes were reflected in their clinical practice. Secondly, challenges associated with trauma-informed practice educational intervention. Staffing issues and shift work made it difficult for participants to attend education sessions regularly. Participants identified barriers to practicing in a trauma-informed manner in the current clinical environment. Finally, the need for interdisciplinary communication and support was identified. Participants saw the need for all professionals, not only nurses, to take responsibility for changing practice, and for stronger support at the organisational level. Trauma-informed practice is crucial to recovery-focused mental health nursing practice. These findings highlight the importance of TIP education and suggest areas for further improvement to enhance positive mental health outcomes for young people.

Details

Title: An evaluation of a trauma-informed educational intervention to enhance therapeutic engagement and reduce coercive practices in a child and adolescent inpatient mental health unit
Creators: Sinéad Heffernan - University College Cork
Maria O'Malley - University College Cork
Margaret Curtin - University College Cork
Andrew Hawkins - University College Cork
Rachel Murphy - University College Cork
John Goodwin - University College Cork
Karen Barry - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Cork and Kerry Healthcare (Cork, Ireland)
Alice Taylor - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Cork and Kerry Healthcare (Cork, Ireland)
Brenda Happell - Southern Cross University
Áine O' Donovan - University College Cork
Publication Details: International journal of mental health nursing, Vol.33(4), pp.978-991
Publisher: Wiley
Grant note: Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit, Health Service Executive South (Cork and Kerry).
Identifiers: 991013165311402368
Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. Open access funding provided by IReL.
Academic Unit: Faculty of Health
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

An evaluation of a trauma-informed educational intervention to enhance therapeutic engagement and reduce coercive practices in a child and adolescent inpatient mental health unit

Files and links (2)

Metrics

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Abstract

Details

Southern Cross University Social media