Analyze How Trauma Might Impact Learning in Educational Settings

American Psychological Association 2014 Convention Presentation

Trauma and Mental Health As Barriers to Learning and Achievement for Youth in Residential Educational Settings

Michelle V. Porche Wellesley College

[email protected]

Kara Sabalauskas Home For Little Wanderers

Heidi Ferreira Home For Little Wanderers

Topic: 80 Trauma

The Report of the Surgeon’s General Conference on Children’s Mental Health (2000) revealed 1 in 5 children has a

mental disorder, and 1 in 10 suffers from severe mental illness, increasing the likelihood that they will do poorly in school

(Bagdi & Vacca, 2005). According to the Institute of Medicine (Reynolds, Chen, & Herbers, 2009), about 50% of students age

14 and older who drop out of high school have a mental disorder; 65% of boys and 75% of girls in juvenile detention have at

least one mental illness. Early adversity and trauma were found to be predictive of psychological disorders and school dropout

rates for a representative sample of emerging adults, and the association between trauma and dropout was mediated by

substance abuse and conduct disorder (Porche, Fortuna, Lin, & Alegria, 2011). Knowledge regarding the connection between

mental health and learning is growing, but still understudied.

Youth who have experienced adversity and trauma are overrepresented in residential educational settings. The focus on

therapeutic treatment in these settings is essential given the significant mental health concerns of students who have exhausted

opportunities in mainstream schools. There is limited research on risks and supports for the academic achievement of this

population. Thus, it is necessary to improve our understanding of barriers to learning in order to develop effective educational

strategies that can foster achievement. This study investigates prevalence of trauma experience for youth in residential settings

as a first step to understanding how PSTD symptoms inhibit capacity for learning.

Theoretical framework. Toxic stress (Shonkoff, Boyce, & McEwen, 2009) alters brain functioning and may contribute to

structural changes in the brain (Cohen, Mannarino, & Deblinger, 2006; Teicher et al., 2003; Weber & Reynolds, 2004).

Resulting changes in neurotransmitter activity affect psychobiological function (Bremner et al., 1994), for example, increased

hypervigilance limiting the amount of attentional resources that can be directed towards learning and staying on task. Caffo

and colleagues (2005) found that learning and attention disorders were common psychiatric problems for children and

adolescents following traumatic experiences.

Sample and Procedure. Students at two residential/educational sites serving grades 6 to 12 participated in the study

(n=135; 90% male; 47% White, 33% Black, 13% Latino, 7% other/unknown). Typically, students experience multiple

out-of-home and school placements and are diagnosed with DSM-IV disorders. Demographic information and the Adverse

Childhood Experience (ACE) score was collected through chart review. Clinical staff administered the 17-item CPSS (Foa, et

al., 2001) to assess PTSD symptoms.

Results. Students experienced parental separation/divorce (88%), threats/emotional abuse (76%), family member(s) with

mental illness (65%), feeling unloved by family (60%), family member(s) with substance abuse (58%), physical abuse (56%),

neglect (45%), family member(s) incarcerated (40%), and sexual abuse (32%). Most frequent symptoms of PTSD were

flashbacks and intrusive memories that affected sleep, anger, and concentration. Over half of students reported that symptoms

impacted schoolwork. Over 60% scored below average on reading comprehension.

Conclusion. This study lays a foundation to develop effective academic interventions within a clinical context for

residential students with multiple adverse childhood experiences.