TY - JOUR
T1 - An Evaluation of a Trauma-Informed Care Training Programme Within a Dental Hospital
AU - O'Donald, Freddie
AU - Smith, Molly
AU - Sevier-Guy, Lindsay Jo
AU - Heffernan, Abigail
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2025/12/30
Y1 - 2025/12/30
N2 - Purpose: As evidence continues to accumulate for the association between psychological trauma and poor oral health outcomes, the need for Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) approaches in dental settings has become increasingly apparent. Training initiatives represent one promising approach to promoting TIC practices within dental settings. This study evaluated a training programme designed to improve TIC practices among Dental Hospital staff. Methods: The training program comprised an interactive session covering understanding psychological trauma, how to respond to this in dentistry, and self-care for dental staff, administered over 3 hours. Dental, nursing, and administrative staff completed measures to evaluate their confidence and attitudes toward TIC practice before training, immediately after training, and approximately 1 year after the final training session. Results: Analysis revealed that participants consistently rated the session as highly relevant and useful. Furthermore, participants' self-reported confidence toward TIC showed significant improvement following attendance at the training (p < 0.001), with average confidence levels increasing by approximately 30% after the training. Additionally, there was a significant difference in staff attitudes toward TIC between those who had completed the training and those who had not, approximately 1-year post-training. Conclusions: These findings suggest that training programs such as ours can positively impact staff confidence and attitudes related to psychological trauma, potentially enhancing the dental experience for people with a history of psychological trauma.
AB - Purpose: As evidence continues to accumulate for the association between psychological trauma and poor oral health outcomes, the need for Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) approaches in dental settings has become increasingly apparent. Training initiatives represent one promising approach to promoting TIC practices within dental settings. This study evaluated a training programme designed to improve TIC practices among Dental Hospital staff. Methods: The training program comprised an interactive session covering understanding psychological trauma, how to respond to this in dentistry, and self-care for dental staff, administered over 3 hours. Dental, nursing, and administrative staff completed measures to evaluate their confidence and attitudes toward TIC practice before training, immediately after training, and approximately 1 year after the final training session. Results: Analysis revealed that participants consistently rated the session as highly relevant and useful. Furthermore, participants' self-reported confidence toward TIC showed significant improvement following attendance at the training (p < 0.001), with average confidence levels increasing by approximately 30% after the training. Additionally, there was a significant difference in staff attitudes toward TIC between those who had completed the training and those who had not, approximately 1-year post-training. Conclusions: These findings suggest that training programs such as ours can positively impact staff confidence and attitudes related to psychological trauma, potentially enhancing the dental experience for people with a history of psychological trauma.
KW - dental training
KW - psychological trauma
KW - service improvement
KW - trauma-informed care
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105026255085
U2 - 10.1111/eje.70084
DO - 10.1111/eje.70084
M3 - Article
C2 - 41467311
AN - SCOPUS:105026255085
SN - 1396-5883
JO - European Journal of Dental Education
JF - European Journal of Dental Education
ER -