UK Trauma Council (UKTC), launches

A new and independent expert body, the UK Trauma Council (UKTC), officially launched on September 17^th with an appeal for an energetic and sustained response to childhood trauma. Its launch is timely, in light of increasing evidence of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown on child mental health.

Hosted and supported by the Anna Freud Centre, the UKTC brings together 22 leading experts in research, policy and practice from all four nations of the UK, making it a unique multi-disciplinary group which will drive positive change in the care and support provided to children and young people who have been exposed to different forms of traumatic event – including single incidents, as well as abuse and neglect.

In ‘Beyond the pandemic: Strategic priorities for responding to childhood trauma’, published today, the UKTC identifies three ways in which the pandemic is impacting on the experience of childhood trauma: It increases the risk that more children will be exposed to trauma, including through sudden bereavement or exposure to domestic violence; It increases the likelihood that those with prior experiences of trauma (for example, because of abuse) will experience significant difficulties; and it compromises the ability of adults and professional systems to identify a struggling child and mitigate the impact of trauma, including mental health problems.

Aside from the pandemic, research suggests that one in three young people is exposed to traumatic events by age 18 in England and Wales, and approximately one-third of all mental health problems are associated with exposure to childhood trauma and adversity. Experiencing or witnessing traumatic events in childhood can have particularly devastating consequences. They are associated with adaptations in brain structure and function, and impact a child or young person’s cognitive, emotional and social development.

The UKTC explains that the consequences for those affected may be profound and lifelong, unless there are clear UK-wide responses which seek to support children and young people. Professor Eamon McCrory, from the Division of Psychology & Language Sciences and Co-Director of the UKTC, said: “Across the UK, there exists enormous expertise about what support children need following experiences of trauma, but we do not always make best use of it. The UK Trauma Council will harness this expertise and help others learn from it. Perhaps never before has there been such a pressing need for collaboration across communities, professionals and services at national and local levels, in the interests of children and young people.”

David Trickey, Co-Director of the UKTC, added: “None of us has escaped the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, but some have been more affected than others. For many children and young people, particularly those who have lived through previous trauma, the pandemic represents a series of potentially traumatic events.”

The UKTC makes four recommendations in response to the pandemic, which it addresses to government departments, professional bodies, and those developing policy and practice. These are to: Prioritise responding to trauma in national and local strategies; Invest in specialist trauma provision for children and young people; Equip all professionals who work with children and young people with the skills and capacity to support those who have experienced trauma; and shift models of help towards prevention, through research, clinical innovation and training.

The UKTC has also developed a cutting-edge set of resources, translating the latest neuroscience findings in the field of trauma so they are easily accessible to frontline professionals. Also launched last week, the ‘Childhood Trauma and the Brain’ portfolio highlights the growing evidence base, including via neuroscience, that resilience is possible.

Professor McCrory explained: “While the brain changes triggered by trauma can make it harder for a child to navigate and cope with everyday challenges, increasing the risk of mental health problems in the future, recovery is possible. We now know their brains adapt to help them cope. Relationships play a key role in that recovery, as they directly influence how the brain grows and develops. So parents, carers and professionals have a crucial role to play in promoting resilience. These relationships are at the heart of what drives positive change.”

Links

• Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
• Professor Eamon McCrory 
• UCL Division of Psychology & Language Sciences