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Milestone One: Resource Collection

PSY-790-10178-M01

Capstone in Psychology

Elizabeth Babskie

January 31, 2025

Milestone One: Resource Collection

Overview of Research

Early childhood traumatic experiences including abuse, neglect, and witnessing violence and its impact on emotional, cognitive, and social development in adolescents will be the proposed topic of research. The research will also explore how interventions can foster resilience in adolescents facing these challenges, particularly within school environments. The key areas of interest involve the psychosocial effects of early trauma, the impact on academic performance, social relationships, and effective interventions.

Research Questions

The research questions proposed are as follows:

1. What psychosocial residuals of early trauma persist in adolescence?

2. Does trauma early affect later academic and social performance in the adolescent period?

3. Which interventions most effectively foster resilience in adolescents who have been traumatized early in their lives?

4. How can supportive environments for these adolescents be designed by schools and community organizations?

These questions have been identified at the core of the proposed research, which can help bridge gaps between trauma theory and intervention practices for adolescents.

Evaluation of Topic Fit to the Field of Psychology

The topic of review is trauma experienced during early childhood and its repercussions in later adolescent years. Trauma psychology generally falls under developmental psychology. Scientific evidence has already demonstrated that experiences of trauma significantly alter emotional modulation, cognitive maturation, and social functioning early in life. These changes contribute mightily toward structuring how well adolescents perform mental health, or disorders concerning them, for example, symptoms indicating PTSD, major depression, or anxiety problems. This study seeks to help build in its own unique area of resilient development interventions through schooling and at communities and elaborate on what psychological mechanisms undergo these and thereby apply interventions when the developing world needs care support.

Synthesis of Previous Scholarly Research Findings

The literature review draws from several critical studies including Felitti et al. (1998) who study foundational in trauma research, establishing the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) framework and demonstrating the long-term effects of childhood trauma on physical and mental health outcomes. The study, however, emphasizes adult outcomes more than adolescent development, indicating a gap that the research aims to address by focusing on the adolescent phase. Additionally, Bethell et al. (2014) emphasizes the role of resilience in mitigating the effects of ACEs. It links early trauma to poor school engagement and overall health. Although Bethell et al. (2014) provide valuable insights into resilience, their study falls short in detailing specific interventions, which this research intends to explore further, particularly within school environments.

Brunzell et al. (2016) introduce trauma-informed education and how integrating positive psychology within school settings can improve outcomes for traumatized students. While the study provides practical insights, its lack of quantitative data limits its ability to generalize findings across diverse settings, a gap this research seeks to fill. Alisic et al. (2014) focus on PTSD prevalence in children and adolescents with trauma exposure, identifying risk factors, and advocating for early interventions. This study, however, does not incorporate other important mental health issues among children, such as depression and anxiety, which this research is trying to present. Whereas Bryant and Deane (2022) conducted a comprehensive review of cognitive-behavioral treatments for trauma-related disorders among children and adolescents, the key focus still lies in the area of CBT. No consideration of other therapeutic approaches has been made, such as mindfulness and family-based interventions that could be highly relevant when considering treatment of trauma within a broader approach.

Comparison and Evaluation of Studies

A comparison of these studies indicates that, while they provide a clear understanding of early trauma and its association with mental health, each has some limitations:

· While the studies by Felitti et al. (1998) and Bethell et al. (2014) are based on long-term trauma, the interventions aimed at adolescents are only minimally addressed.

· Brunzell et al. (2016) present a promising model of trauma-informed education; however, the absence of quantitative evidence limits the generalization of their findings.

· Alisic et al. (2014) study and also Bryant and Deane (2022) literature were quite enlightening on interventions, such as CBT; however, there was a shortage regarding the variety of interventions discussed. This paper will add to current information by considering other kinds of interventions, such as family-based therapy and mindfulness, which can probably represent more holistic approaches in adolescents.

Addressing Research Gaps

A critical gap identified in the literature is the insufficient exploration of specific interventions aimed at fostering resilience in adolescents, especially within educational contexts. While resilience is often discussed in theoretical terms, there is a lack of detailed research on how resilience-building practices can be integrated into school environments. Additionally, most studies focus on PTSD as the primary mental health issue resulting from childhood trauma, with less emphasis on other outcomes like depression, anxiety, or social withdrawal.

The Research will Fill this Gap by:

· Exploring how different interventions (including CBT, mindfulness, family therapy) can be implemented in schools to support adolescents.

· Investigating how schools and community organizations can create trauma-informed environments that foster resilience.

· Expanding the focus to include a broader range of mental health challenges, not just PTSD.

Contribution of Existing Research to Real-World Problems

Existing research on childhood trauma has significant implications for the general public. By identifying the long-term effects of trauma, these studies emphasize the need for early intervention to prevent the development of serious mental health issues in adolescents. There is an increasing recognition of the importance of trauma-informed practices both at schools and in other community venues to support vulnerable youth.

This research will help further this effort by providing actionable insights into how schools can implement effective interventions to mitigate the effects of trauma. By focusing on resilience-building strategies, the study aims to offer practical solutions that can be adopted by educational institutions and community organizations to support vulnerable adolescents. This research is vital for public health, education, and social services, as it directly addresses the well-being of a high-risk population and offers evidence-based strategies for improvement.

Organizing and Aligning the Literature Review to the Message

The literature review should be logically organized to flow from identifying the research topic through synthesizing previous work, identifying research gaps, and culminating in implications for this study. This clear path includes the following general form for this type of literature review paper:

1. Introduction: A brief introduction to the research topic and questions.

2. Literature Review: A summary of prior research regarding how trauma impacts adolescent development and intervention.

3. Gap Identification: A presentation of the shortcomings of the available research and what gaps this research will attempt to fill.

4. Proposed Research Contribution: Identifying how the research will fill these gaps and its contribution to practical applications.

5. Conclusion: A summary of the synthesis of the literature, and the re-engagement with the research questions and the overall argument.

Synthesizing Conclusion

The literature review demonstrates a critical need for more focused research on interventions that build resilience in adolescents affected by early trauma. While existing studies have established the pervasive impacts of trauma, particularly regarding PTSD, they lack detailed exploration of intervention methods in educational settings. This research aims to bridge this gap by exploring various therapeutic interventions, such as CBT, mindfulness, and family-based therapies, and evaluating their effectiveness in supporting adolescents in school environments. By synthesizing the existing literature and proposing a path forward, the study will contribute valuable insights to the field of psychology, particularly in improving mental health outcomes for adolescents facing the consequences of early trauma.

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References

Alisic, E., Zalta, A. K., Van Wesel, F., Larsen, S. E., Hafstad, G. S., Hassanpour, K., & Smid, G. E. (2014). Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed children and adolescents: meta-analysis.  The British Journal of Psychiatry,  204(5), 335-340. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.131227

Bethell, C. D., New check, P., Hawes, E., & Halfon, N. (2014). Adverse childhood experiences: Assessing the impact on health and school engagement and the mitigating role of resilience.  Health affairs,  33(12), 2106-2115. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0914

Brunzell, T., Stokes, H., & Waters, L. (2016). Trauma-informed positive education: Using positive psychology to strengthen vulnerable students. Contemporary School Psychology, 20(1), 63–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-015-0064-8

Bryant, R. A., & Deane, F. P. (2022). Cognitive-behavioral interventions for trauma-related disorders in children and adolescents: A review of efficacy and implementation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 63(2), 134–147. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13487

Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.  American journal of preventive medicine,  14(4), 245-258. https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(98)00017-8/fulltext