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IJERPH
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Trauma-Informed Healthcare for Women
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Trauma-Informed Healthcare for Women

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 4681

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Leah East

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Guest Editor
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Interests: women’s health; sexual and reproductive health; intimate partner violence; patient safety; nursing workforce; community wellbeing and health equity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Amy Mullens

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Psychology and Wellbeing, Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD 4350, Australia
Interests: health equity; sexual health; clinical psychology; health psychology; gender and sexuality; trauma; mental health; affirming healthcare
Dr. India Bryce

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Psychology and Wellbeing, Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Interests: child abuse and neglect; cumulative harm; child welfare; trauma informed practice and pedagogy; developmental victimology and life-course victimisation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Trauma can be experienced in many ways and with a wide range of associated impacts throughout the lifespan, and can be experienced individually and collectively. Experiencing trauma can result in lifelong physical, psychological, and psychosocial sequalae, in addition to contributing to adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms. All individuals may be at risk of experiencing trauma; however, women are at a heightened risk due to multiple contributing factors, including social and gender norms as well as cultural–historical ideologies, placing them at an increased risk of experiencing violence. Whilst healthcare professionals endeavor to provide therapeutic healthcare that is holistic and person-centric, negative experiences of healthcare and health-related events can also unintentionally elicit or exacerbate the experiences, feelings, and sequalae of trauma. Therefore, we are pleased to announce this Special Issue focused on trauma-informed healthcare for women and invite manuscripts focused on research, interventions, and innovations that focus on supporting and or enhancing trauma-informed healthcare for women, including future recommendations for practice, policy, and research.

Prof. Dr. Leah East
Prof. Dr. Amy Mullens
Dr. India Bryce
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • trauma
  • women’s health
  • sexual and reproductive health
  • chronic illness
  • mental health wellbeing
  • health equity
  • healthcare practice

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 295 KB  
Article
Seen and Heard: Women and Mother’s Experiences of Navigating a Drug and Alcohol Recovery Community
by Lydia Shrimpton, Hayley Alderson, Kim Hall, Monique Lhussier, Ruth McGovern, Zeibeda Sattar and William McGovern
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23010025 - 23 Dec 2025
Viewed by 897
Abstract
Women Who Use Drugs (WWUD) are amongst the most stigmatised groups in society and are subject to stigma as they engage with services and within their own recovery communities. WWUD who are also mothers have been found to experience increased stigma and disproportionate [...] Read more.
Women Who Use Drugs (WWUD) are amongst the most stigmatised groups in society and are subject to stigma as they engage with services and within their own recovery communities. WWUD who are also mothers have been found to experience increased stigma and disproportionate surveillance by professionals when accessing services, leading to a constant fear of child removal and apprehension to accessing, engaging and seeking support. In this study, we report findings from a community asset mapping project conducted with drug and alcohol recovery services in the North-East of England. The aim of this study is to examine the gender-specific and recovery-related experiences of WWUD when accessing services and women-only spaces. Semi-structured interviews (n = 13) and focus groups (n = 4) were carried out with professionals working in the recovery community and women in recovery from substance use. A reflexive thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data, resulting in three themes being identified: (1) The role of peer support in empowering women in recovery; (2) Navigating recovery as a mother; and (3) Working with women in recovery. Findings revealed that gender-specific groups provide a sense of safety, connection, identification, and empowerment for WWUD. This study further highlights the gender-based stigma WWUD experience when accessing services, and the challenges they experience where appropriate spaces are limited in the recovery community. We conclude by recognising the importance of sisterhood for WWUD and recommending the promotion of gender-specific peer support groups and for practitioners working with WWUD to reflect on their own stigmatising behaviour and how this can manifest in the increased monitoring of women and mothers in recovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trauma-Informed Healthcare for Women)

Review

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24 pages, 1145 KB  
Review
Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions for Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: A Scoping Review
by Leah East, Daniel Terry, Liz Ryan, Brianna Larsen, Amy B. Mullens, Annette Brömdal, Marie Hutchinson and Rebecca M. Jedwab
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(9), 1377; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091377 - 2 Sep 2025
Viewed by 2885
Abstract
Background: Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) have a higher likelihood of experiencing detrimental physical, psychological and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. However, a gap remains in published literature on SRH interventions available to women experiencing IPV. Methods: A scoping review [...] Read more.
Background: Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) have a higher likelihood of experiencing detrimental physical, psychological and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. However, a gap remains in published literature on SRH interventions available to women experiencing IPV. Methods: A scoping review was undertaken to examine: What is the nature of sexual and reproductive healthcare interventions provided to women experiencing IPV? Five databases (APA PsycInfo, CINAHL Complete, Informit, PubMed and Scopus) were searched on 9 October 2023 for peer-reviewed systematic reviews or primary research published from 1 January 2004–present. The search was repeated on 11 June 2025 to ensure recency of studies. Two researchers independently screened studies at title and abstract, and full-text levels. The two searches yielded a total of 10,844 studies, of which nine were included in the review. Results: Due to the heterogenous nature of the studies, thematic analysis was undertaken with four themes being identified: Outcomes of interventions; Positive impact of personalised and patient-centred care; Professionals’ knowledge, education and training as a facilitator; and Barriers to effective IPV intervention implementation in healthcare. SRH interventions available to women who experienced IPV can empower survivors, improve access to care, and enhance service quality. Conclusions: Evidence-based models of care that are intersectional, trauma-informed and integrated into SRH and IPV services are critical to ensure future work supports women of differing backgrounds who have experienced IPV. Future research should include evaluating effectiveness of interventions, identifying and addressing systemic barriers, and supporting underrepresented groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trauma-Informed Healthcare for Women)
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