Implementing a novel self-care clock strategy as part of a trauma awareness intervention in a university setting

Purpose

This study compared post- and preintervention trauma-informed care attitudes, explored relationships among outcomes, and identified self-care behavior changes participants are willing to make.

Design and Methods

A quasi-experimental study with content analysis was conducted with 96 adults that took part in a Trauma Awareness Intervention including a novel self-care clock.

Conclusions

Participants' trauma-informed care attitudes improved ( p  ≤ 0.05) compared to baseline and were positively related to their post-intervention compassion scores ( p  < 0.05). Qualitative analyses revealed self-awareness, self-care, empathy, applying a trauma lens, changing the narrative, and student-centeredness as the main themes in participants' responses.

Practical Implications

This university-based initiative had a positive impact on attitudes toward trauma and should be explored in other settings, as there is an unmet need for trauma-informed care strategies at the community level.