September 2020

By Renee Fox, The Vindicator, September 20, 2020 Poverty is often a cycle, an oppressive cloud that hangs over generations, expanded by a community’s inability to offer living wage jobs, affordable housing and comprehensive health care, an expert says. Society’s youngest often carry the mental trauma that comes with not knowing if their home will be heated in the winter or their bellies full in the summer. When poverty cycles by generations, that means it takes longer for a society to...

By Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, September 21, 2020 Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, the countless stresses are taking a toll on the mental health of many in the Bay Area. Those who were already struggling are likely dealing with even more distress. According to a CDC survey this summer, more than 40% of Americans are experiencing issues related to depression, anxiety and substance abuse because of the pandemic. In the 18-24 age bracket, 1 in 4 report serious suicidal...

Call for Applications Release Date: July 13, 2020 | Application Deadline: Thu, 15 Oct 2020 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize ( the Prize ) elevates the compelling stories of places where residents are working together to transform education, jobs, transportation, housing, and more so better health flourishes for all. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, good jobs, and reliable...

Political? Yes, thinking in a trauma-informed way is a political issue. It gets to the very heart of what happens when injustice occurs. Much of the injustice in this world is perpetrated and/or ignored by many of those with money and power. Josh Lown identified “the loss of sense of self and safety as a result of a capitalist economy. This is trauma, but it’s not well understood.”

New publications Check out these new publications from Resilient Wisconsin: In this Together: Understanding the Effects of Collective Trauma Moving Prevention Upstream The Resilient Wisconsin initiative continues to evolve. If you haven't visited the Resilient Wisconsin website recently, check it out today. ACEs, adversity's impact UTEP professor researches effects of childhood trauma on Hispanic nursing students New Survey: 64%of parents of grieving children report mental health tops...

From The Government Alliance on Race and Equity, September 17, 2020 The Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) is proud to have selected a series of GARE members to provide funding for projects that encourage government partnerships with local arts organizations focused on eliminating structural racism. The goals of the Innovation and Implementation Fund, Summer 2020 cycle are: To develop the government's capacity to build racial equity within the arts and culture sector To encourage...

The downstream effect of childhood trauma has been well documented regarding the biological and psychosocial impacts. This presentation will highlight the neurobiological changes associated with ACEs that function as a "primer" for the onset of addiction and related behaviors. It will conclude with principles for influencing these same pathways that assist with restoration of the mind and health downstream effect of childhood trauma has been well documented regarding the biological and...

Since 2014, the Caminos program at the Board of Child Care (BCC) in Baltimore has helped unaccompanied immigrant youth overcome the trauma they face when coming to the U.S. alone. Often fleeing environments where they have experienced extreme poverty, abuse and neglect, persecution, and the impact of horrific gang violence, these young people have already been exposed to significant and acute adversity and trauma. The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant for...

By Dan Lander, MedicalXpress, September 17, 2020 A new study by The University of South Australia has found mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and suicidality are widespread among people seeking asylum in Western nations, including Australia. The research, conducted by UniSA's Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research Group (MHSPRG), was published in the British Medical Bulletin, and examined data from Australia, Europe, Canada and the...

By Alana Rogers, Shelley Obst, and Samantha J. Teague, JAMA Pediatrics, September 14, 2020 Key Points Question Are maternal perinatal depression and anxiety adversely associated with social-emotional, cognitive, language, motor, and adaptive behavior development in offspring during the first 18 years of life? Findings In this systematic review and meta-analysis, maternal perinatal depression and anxiety were associated with poorer social-emotional, cognitive, language, motor, and adaptive...

By Larry Zier, Omaha World-Record, September 19, 2020 Our children have never known the uncertainty of a global crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic. Collectively, it is our nature to pick ourselves up and forge on. However, this trauma and its rippling effects of limited socialization and in-person interactions continue to add to this real life-threat. The question then becomes, what can parents do to help children process the trauma and begin to heal? By definition, emotional and...

This excellent article reviews arguments for and against universal pediatric screening for ACEs in California. It also highlights Dr. Nadine Burke Harris' concern concern that if we know ACEs science, it is irresponsible not to take action. She indicates that she has not heard alternative proposals for action from critics of screening. However, such alternatives exist and include universal pediatric developmental screening and policy initiatives aimed at primary prevention of adversity.