Research: Bridging the Gap

What, why, how, what next etc.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) have been shown to have significant clinical results across a range of mental health conditions. (summary of EA's slide 2)

We have collated a series of articles and information resources to provide access to the latest research evidence of the impact of mindfulness on brain activity and the practical implications for psychological treatments and therapies. (KLF summary)

Iatrogenic Harm

An iatrogenic harm refers to the injury, hurt or damage generated by an institutional practice that is justified on the basis of helping, assisting or healing individuals with problems requiring remedy. In other words, it is a direct consequence of an intervention by a state agency that rather than curing an individual or making a set of affairs better, makes things worse. Iatrogenesis is said to occur when schools create ignorance, hospitals create ill-health, asylums create madness, social control creates ‘crime’ or policing creates victimisation. (source: I in: A Companion to Crime, Harm and Victimisation).

CBT Skills for exposure

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy where a therapist helps you to change how you think and act. It can treat many different mental health problems. (NHS definition)

Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy in which your therapist creates a safe environment to expose you to your fears. Fears may be things, situations and/or activities. Exposure therapy helps show you that you’re capable of confronting your fears. You’ll learn to attach new, more realistic beliefs to the things you’re afraid of. You’ll become more comfortable with the experience of fear. (Source: Exposure Therapy: What It Is, What It Treats & Types)

1. Clinical Initiative: Improving Practice & Outcomes for Service Users

Clinical interventions can take many forms. They may involve direct therapy, guided self help or working systemically through teams or families, and reflect the most critical approach of reducing the impact of trauma and wider mental health presentations that often co-occur.

Wider clinical initiatives that address the holistic impact of trauma that improve quality of life, through improving physical health, increasing life skills, social connections, education or employment opportunities are both necessary and highly valued priorities by service users.

Just as clinical interventions play a pivotal role in our responses to either prevent respond to trauma exposure, so must our efforts to ensure that we are offering interventions that are safe and effective, for different populations.

Evaluations of clinical practice can reflect large scale multi centre controls trials led by research teams, or local service evaluations, led by clinicians and services.

The importance of service evaluations is often overlooked in the trauma literature, yet they are of critical importance to reducing the gap between evidence and practice and developing practice based evidence.

They also often reflect work with populations who are not represented in the wider trauma literature and, as such, are critical to ensuring that the needs of marginalised populations are considered.

Service evaluations are often the most translatable into clinical services and we very much welcome submissions from local initiatives.

2. Clinical Initiative That Provides Professional Development or Improves Support for Staff Groups Working With Trauma Populations.

Healthcare professionals and first responders staff groups who work with trauma-exposed populations are dedicated and passionate individuals, often working in challenging environments. Working effectively with trauma exposed populations requires ongoing professional development and support. Well designed training or supervision, derived from evidence and evaluated for its effectiveness

This field of work is incredibly fulfilling, and it can also affect the well-being of those assisting trauma survivors. It is vital that we support staff, for their own wellbeing and to ensure that we continue to provide functional and healthy services. As such, it is crucial to offer staff effective support to prevent challenges, alleviate distress, enhance well-being, and tackle the underlying causes of distress to avoid future issues. Ongoing investments in public and private sectors to promote and protect staff wellbeing, and the continued high profile of occupational distress is key to ensuring the wellbeing of the workforce. However, this will only be achieved if initiatives to improve wellbeing are grounded in theory and evidenced, to ensure they are effective.

3. Clinical or Research Initiative Demonstrating Strong Coproduction / Lived Experience Components That Improve Outcomes for Service Users

Peer led or co-produced research and clinical innovations are increasingly being recognised as key to improving our understanding of trauma and in shaping services and clinical priorities. It emphasizes the value of experiential knowledge twinned with traditional expertise leading to a more nuanced understanding of trauma.

At the same time these voices and experiences can be underutilized or invisible without committed actions, imaginative individuals, expansive leadership and "trauma informed" organizations. The process is an adventure in managing risk for the potential rewards (better outcomes) while offering both challenge and support.

This award is assessing the effective, significant and constructive participation and influence of EBEs and quality of partnership working (reciprocity and investment). It is about meaningful ‘doing with.’

4. Early Stage Career Research Award: Applied Research That Focuses on Improving Understanding Psychological Trauma

A rich understanding of the way in which trauma presents and the experiences underpinning the emergence of trauma symptoms in those requiring support from healthcare services is critical to informing effective approaches in working with and addressing the holistic needs of service user populations.

The integration of research with clinical practice reflects a necessary interface for the delivery of quality care that is empirically informed by robust real-world data and evidence.

Accordingly, generating research that bears great potential for meaningful impact on the experiences of and outcomes for people in healthcare services, whether as a user or provider, is arguably a central responsibility held by clinicians, academics and researchers in the field.

5. Established Career Award: Applied Research That Focuses on Improving Understanding Psychological Trauma

In addition to recognising and encouraging initial entrance into the clinical research sphere, we are equally keen to recognise and celebrate the work of individuals with an established portfolio of research, who continue to show an outstanding commitment to the advancement of the psychological trauma field.

Within recent years, the psychological trauma field has seen some innovative and trail-blazing research by pioneers in this area. Research which significantly contributes to current understandings of and ways of effectively working with psychological trauma in clinical care will be considered for this research award category. Significance may be demonstrated through the devising and addressing of pertinent research questions, or via the development and application of novel and notable research methods.

Please note that all submissions for this category must be able to demonstrate evidence that the submitted work to which the award application relates has been subject to a peer-reviewed publishing process. For example, peer-reviewed, published journal articles or book chapters would be eligible for this award category. Self-published articles and guidelines that have not been derived from empirical research data or processes will not be considered.

6. Applied Research or Clinical Initiative That Improves Understanding, Management or Outcomes of Psychological Trauma in Marginalised Populations

Membership of one of more socially marginalised group elevates the likelihood of exposure to trauma and adversity across the life span, as well as clinical needs relating to trauma. Yet, marginalised groups are under represented in innovations in this field.

We cannot assume that policies and practices developed for dominant social groups meet the needs of all social groups. Individuals from minoritized backgrounds may experience unique adversities and barriers to accessing with services. As clinicians, researchers and leaders we have a responsibility to ensure specialist mental healthcare is accessible to all and to support the work and development of people working in this area.

The aim of this award is to shine a light on these communities to ensure their needs are given greater prominence and to highlight the work being undertaken with under researched and supported populations.

Submission, Judging and Outcome Reporting Process

Submitting for an award is a straight forward process. We are keen to encourage, not put off submissions! Individuals and teams can nominate themselves for an award or they can be nominated by a third party, with the consent of those being nominated.

1. Access and complete the submission form

A copy of the awards submission form can be downloaded from the bottom of this page. If you are not able to download a copy, please get in touch at TraumaAwardsCDCT@stah.org and we will be able to provide you with a copy.

2. Submit your form

Completed submissions form needs to be submitted to AwardSubmissionsCDCT@stah.org. Submissions will be acknowledged within 3 working days. You can also email this address to ask any informal questions or to request a discussion with the chair for the awards, to clarify any points relating to submissions or the submission process.

In instances where individuals or teams are nominated by third parties, the award organisers will contact, via email, the nominated parties to confirm they consent to being nominated and to confirm the accuracy of the submission.

3. Anonymous screening

After the form is submitted all identifying information is removed and forwarded to the senior judges for initial screening. In the event of incomplete or unclear submissions being received, the judges will request the awards administrators contact the lead name on the submission and will be invited to re submit, once omissions or clarifications are made.

The decision to anonymise submissions, prior to judging, is to reduce the risk of bias in the judging process. The submission will then be forwarded to the judges who will assess the submission based on pre-agreed criterion and their own expert opinions.

4. Judgements agreed and outcome feedback

Following the completion of reviews for each award category, the judges individual rating are discussed as a judging team and a consensus agreement is reached for an outcome. Judges will agree an overall winner for the each award, and where appropriate, also award highly commended awards. The outcomes of the each of the award categories will be notified by email.

Evidence Driving Practice