Trauma Care, Volume 5, Issue 1 (March 2025) – 4 articles

Background: Internal displacement is a global crisis, with Ethiopia being among the most affected countries due to conflict, violence, and natural disasters. Internally displaced people (IDPs) face multifaceted trauma at the individual, family, and community levels, exacerbating mental health issues such as PTSD and depression. Despite ongoing interventions, many programs lack cultural and contextual adaptations that are suited to Ethiopia’s diverse communities. Aims: This study aimed to explore the cultural and contextual factors influencing trauma-informed interventions for IDPs in Ethiopia and develop a framework for culturally responsive mental health support. Methods: Utilizing Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) and interpretative phenomenological research design, data were collected from 42 stakeholders through Focus Group Discussions and in-depth individual interviews, and subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes. Results: Key findings highlighted the ongoing trauma faced by IDPs, the importance of demographic characteristics (e.g., gender and education), and the role of cultural stereotypes in shaping trauma perceptions. Traditional community rituals such as coffee ceremonies have been identified as vital for healing. Effective interventions require cultural alignment, respect for religious values, and integration into community activities. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for culturally and contextually responsive trauma-informed intervention. Incorporating community rituals and engaging local leaders enhances intervention acceptance and effectiveness. The findings provide a framework to address mental health needs while fostering resilience among internally displaced Ethiopian populations. Full article

Background: Exposure to traumatic experiences has been positively associated with college students’ academic difficulties and psychological distress. However, little is known about the traumatic events experienced by Hispanic college students. This study examined the types of lifetime traumatic events experienced by Hispanic college students, including immigration enforcement-related events, and the association between events and psychological distress. Methods: College students (N = 1112) completed self-reported measures assessing lifetime traumatic experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and depression symptoms. Results: Most participants (81%) were born in the US, and most (84%) reported that at least one parent was foreign born. Hispanic students reported similar types of traumatic events reported by the general population of college students in previous studies. In addition, many students reported immigration-related potentially traumatic events. The following types of traumatic events were most strongly associated with greater levels of psychological distress: sexual assault or molestation, life-threatening illnesses or accidents, verbal abuse, physical or verbal bullying or mistreatment, directly experienced immigration enforcement events, and having witnessed physical or verbal abuse of someone close. Conclusions: It is important that clinicians use a broad definition of potentially traumatic events in the identification and treatment of Hispanic college students who may have experienced PTSD or depression symptoms following major life events, including immigration enforcement events. Full article

Background/Objectives: Intentional injury due to violent acts is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, intentional traumatic brain injury (TBI) has received little attention and there is limited research on the relationship of injury intent to injury mechanism, severity, mortality, hospital disposition and demographic factors. In this study, the aim was to examine the factors associated with intentional TBI and evaluate the differences in outcomes based on injury intent. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with diagnosed TBI at an urban trauma center. Hospital data were obtained from the Department of Surgery’s trauma registry for the years 2017–2022. Intentional and unintentional TBI patients were compared using descriptive, univariate and multivariate methods. Results: In this study, 123 (9.28%) intentional TBIs and 1203 (90.72%) unintentional TBIs were identified. Younger age, male gender, minority status, Medicaid coverage, alcohol use and the lack of orthopedic injury were associated with intentional TBI. Patients with intentional TBI were more likely to be discharged to home and with admissions had shorter hospital lengths of stay and were less likely to be discharged to rehabilitation. Multivariate analysis found that Black race and alcohol use near the time of injury were predictive of intentional injury when adjusting for other demographic variables. Conclusions: Overall, patients with intentional TBI had less severe and more focal injury events with shorter hospital stays if admitted. Multiple demographic- and injury-related variables were associated with intentional TBI. Further study is needed to evaluate the long-term patient outcomes and re-injury after intentional TBI. Full article

Background/Objectives: This systematic review aimed to investigate the efficacy of methylphenidate medication in the treatment of cognitive problems, such as attention, following pediatric traumatic brain injury. Previous reviews have focused on a broader population of acquired brain injury in pediatrics. Methods: Six databases were systematically searched, and eleven relevant reports were included, of which five were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and six were prospective cohort designs with no control arm. The risk of bias was assessed for each of the studies using appropriate tools. Results: Eleven studies were included in this study for data extraction consisting of 376 participants. Our primary outcome of the efficacy of methylphenidate in improving attention was assessed in the included studies using a variety of tools. A meta-analysis was only possible for studies using the continuous performance test data, which showed an overall insignificant reduction of 36.07 (95% CI [−96.94, 24.80], p = 0.25). Other outcomes, such as the Conners’ rating scale and the behaviour rating interview of executive function, also did not show an overall difference after methylphenidate treatment. However, the risk of bias across all studies was judged as moderate to high. Conclusions: We conclude that there is currently no evidence to support the use of methylphenidate to improve cognitive outcomes in pediatric traumatic brain injury patients. Significantly larger high-quality studies are needed to determine an effect on executive functioning outcomes after methylphenidate treatment in pediatric traumatic brain injury. Full article