Early Childhood Trauma and Treatment

Abstract

Young children are particularly vulnerable to different forms of trauma. Abuse and neglect of kids continue to increase at an overwhelming rate. The literature and research findings presented in this paper discuss early childhood susceptibility to trauma, symptoms, diagnostic legitimacy of early childhood trauma, and treatment approaches for youngsters. Past misconceptions regarding the psychological well-being of kids have interfered with counselors’ ability to correctly diagnose and treat trauma-related psychological disorders. Counselors are thereby encouraged to familiarize themselves with the effects and methods to decrease the commonness of trauma. The study also underlines the implications for future research.

Introduction

From age 5 and below, children are highly susceptible to traumatic happenings. A child’s vulnerability at this stage is largely attributable to their reliance on their parents and caregivers. Traumatic situations result in physical injury or psychological detriment often leading to a feeling of helplessness and terror. Traumatic events include domestic and community violence, sexual violence, therapeutic trauma, conflict experiences, and man-made and natural disasters. Kids are principally prone to physical distress, neglect and exploitation, and domestic violence.

According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway (2014), 88 percent of child abuse and neglect incidences occurred among children below the age of 7. Evidence reveals that the adverse effects of trauma increase in frequency for children aged 5 and below owing to their dependence on parents and limited coping skills. Nevertheless, counselors generally lack the necessary knowledge to comprehend the effect of trauma on younger kids mainly due to the past disapproval of the study of the psychological health of youngsters (Van der Kolk, 2017). This paper seeks to examine the history and analytic importance of trauma-related psychological illness in early childhood, the sources and symptoms of trauma for young children, and the current treatments.

Mental Trauma in Early Childhood: A Historical Perspective

Historically, researchers have to a large extent failed to focus on studying the impacts of trauma experiences for young children. A popular misconception among scholars has been that children lack the cognition to understand and remember traumatic occurrences (Jansen et al., 2016). As a consequence, mental health counselors have failed in their responsibility to diagnose trauma-related psycho illnesses. Today, counselors agree that children can remember traumatic occurrences taking into consideration that a study of auditory senses reveals that a child can indeed experience stress (Lai et al., 2015).

Even though research findings have established a link between traumatic events and the mental status of a child, clinicians lacking proper training encounter difficulty in diagnosing trauma-related psycho illnesses among children. Mental health assessments are more often than not based on parental feedback which provides little information to develop a mental health diagnosis. From a historical viewpoint, counselors, and society, in general, have failed to acknowledge the susceptibility of young children to trauma exposure.

Diagnostic tools for kids above the age of 5 have become obsolete in assessing younger children. For instance, some assessment tools use complex vocabulary which young children encounter difficulty in understanding. The PTSD Presidential Task Force also acknowledges that kids rarely receive the proper diagnosis when it comes to identifying trauma. A compilation of several historical reasons contributes to the counselor’s lack of expertise and knowledge regarding diagnosing and treating the under-five population. Nonetheless, advance in the psychotherapy vocation is evident. For Instance, the American Counseling Association (ACA) has begun improving counselor expertise in the areas of mental health assessment and intervention.

Sources of Childhood Distress/Trauma

In psychiatry, trauma refers to an emotionally distressing experience that often causes lasting physical and mental effects (Midgley, 2017). Childhood abuse refers to the damaging interactions between caregivers and children that mature into a pattern of experiences. Attachment trauma includes sexual abuse, physical abuse, cruelty, rejection, lack of basic needs, and response from caretakers (Malchiodi, 2015). Attachment trauma results in a child’s inability to identify with the appropriate caregiver ultimately compromising development. Hence, attachment to primary caregivers works advantageously towards ensuring a youngster’s growth and overall survival. Secondly, trauma can also occur during pregnancy. Substance abuse and malnutrition during pregnancy can lead to significant brain distortions in a child. Also, the prenatal surrounding can either enhance the development or create behavioral and biological problems in a youngster’s brain.

Indicators of Mental Distress in Juveniles

Reaction to trauma varies in young children. A child may recreate themes from an upsetting occurrence through play while another may experience nightmares and flashbacks. Traumatized children may also avoid conversations, people, or places that bring back memories of a traumatizing event. A diminished sense of interest in physical activities, disturbed sleep, and withdrawal from relationships, heightened the sense of irritability, temper, and increased physical aggression further depicting trauma in children (Vavilala et al., 2014). In the case of sexual abuse, a child may display sexual behavior unfitting for their age. It is also crucial for counselors to ponder on the lasting impacts of Early Childhood Trauma.

Long-standing Effects of Juvenile Mental Distress

In recent years, researchers have shifted their focus to comprehending the long-standing impacts of early childhood trauma on the physical as well as the mental health status of kids later in life. Behavior and anxiety disorders, PTSD, and substance abuse have been linked to early childhood trauma (Cook et al., 2017). In a literature review, Read et al., (2014) demonstrate the effects using the traumatic neurodevelopmental model. The model proposes that the functionality of the brain changes following a traumatic experience during childhood leading to physical and psychological mental concerns in adulthood. Santiago (2013) found a link between family and community violence and opposition rebellious disorder as well as substance abuse in low-income neighborhoods of the United States. Santiago further reveals that exposure to family and neighborhood violence leads to a decline in emotional health and poor academic performance. Moreover, non-interpersonal traumatic occurrences such as animal attacks burns, and car accidents result in PTSD, phobias, anxiety, and depressive disorders.

Stien and Kendall (2014) found that youngsters and grown-ups who experienced interpersonal distress during their early years often struggle with psychological disorders due to the impairment of the right brain. Ford (2017) again reveals that exposure to abuse affects hippocampal neurons resulting in growth delays. There is a high risk for psychotic symptoms for people who experienced distress during their childhood and later use cannabis in their adolescence (De Bellis, 2014). Other analyses have established a connection between schizophrenia and early childhood distress. Both children and adults may also experience behavioral and emotional dysregulation as an outcome of exposure to trauma during infancy (Gershon et al., 2013). Schwandt et al (2013) also found that children who experienced traumatic events are more than likely to become alcohol dependent in their adult life.

Research provides substantial evidence to prove that the impacts of early childhood trauma extend well beyond an individual’s youth. Also, there is a consensus that a majority of consumers of psychological health services at some point in life survived trauma which helped shape their physical health and brain functionality.

Protective factors

Parent-Child relationships, as well as demographic and environmental factors, play a major role in mitigating the effects of early childhood trauma. According to Brouke and Craun (2014), nurturing familial interactions helps protect children from mental distress linked to traumatic occurrences. Safety and stability likewise serve as defensive features. Safety alludes to a child’s freedom from fear or detriment, both socially and physically. Stability implies consistency in the family surrounding the availability of warmth and sensitivity of parents and caregivers. Secure maternal attachment has been proved to help youngsters control their emotional arousal.

Treatment

Counselors need to exercise early intervention measures to reduce the social and emotional effects of early childhood traumatic experiences. Professional counselors ought to make referrals to trained counselors to establish rapport among stakeholders. Mental health therapists can emphasize community support groups to help support the family and child, minimizing the adverse impacts of the trauma (Salloum et al., 2015). Lieberman (2018) outlined some common attributes of trauma treatment for families with a history of violence. A counselor has the responsibility to:

• Resume normal engagement and future goals.
• Nurturing capacity to respond to the threat.
• Focus on upholding a steady level of arousal.
• Reestablish trust in physical sensation.
• Restitution of mutuality in dear relationships.
• Normalize a shocking situation so the family responds effectively.
• Inspire diversity between encouraging and relieving.
• Placing the traumatic experience into perspective.

While Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is a widely accepted treatment for traumatized kids, there exist evidence-based therapies particularly designed for handling trauma in youngsters aged 6 and below (Dorsey et al., 2017). Child-parent psychotherapy (CPP) primarily focuses on domestic violence. This approach works by reestablishing the safety and security of the child and caregiver (Lieberman et al., 2018). CPP essentially focuses on equipping parents with the necessary knowledge needed to meet the mental needs of their offspring and uphold a secure bond long after the end of treatment.

Attachment and biobehavioral catch-up (ABC) is a form of intervention designed for low-income and foster families. This approach heightens the development of youngsters’ optimal regulatory tactics by equipping caregivers with effective response tools (Dozier et al., 2014). Counselors can also make use of parent-child therapy (PCIT). Structured for ages 2 to 8, counselors teach the caregiver or parent how to relate to the child and establish effective restrictions (Hembree-Kigin et al., 2013). Hembree-Kigin further reveals that PCIT has worked well with Latino and Hispanic clients.

Since children lack extensive vocabulary, they often communicate through play. Several case studies illustrate the success of play therapy. A case study by Anderson and Gedo (2013) presented positive results where the two depicted play as a successful therapy for a 3-year-old with a prior history of aggressive behavior. An emerging form of treatment called Honoring Children, Mending the Circle (HC-MC) addresses the spiritual needs of Alaska and Native American kids exposed to distress. This approach advocates pre-established relations, wellness, and healing for the duration of the treatment procedure. The objective of this approach is to help traumatized kids restore balance (Buss et al., 2015). However, the triumph of the HC-MC has relatively weak evidence.

Discussion and Implications

The contribution of trauma to a child’s difficulties helps in the development of coping strategies. Recent studies have proved effective in helping counselors understand how trauma affects young kids. Clinicians now know that toddlers can perceive trauma and can experience a psychopathology episode after a traumatic occurrence. Since young people are highly susceptible to traumatic events, preventive psych education taught to caregivers and patients would help tackle the challenge beforehand thereby reducing childhood trauma.

Although kids can experience mental disorders, symptomology can present itself in a variety of ways. School-aged youngsters may undergo behavioral alterations and experience difficulty in learning and establishing relationships. School counselors thereby have a responsibility to explore ways to support students with suspected exposure to traumatic situations. For instance, trauma-sensitive schools such as Sandy Hook Elementary School should provide the therapist with an outline that fosters school-wide trauma awareness and sets up a safe and reassuring environment. These efforts ought to be assimilated into the overall school counseling program and may seemingly lead to success in preventing trauma and treating distressed children.

Currently, many immigrant children suffer the psychological shock of separation from their parents due to the recent immigration law in the United States. Also, these children may have been exposed to traumatic experiences in their country of origin. When counselors work with families who have experienced a period of separation, they should treat each case separately knowing that each group has a unique trauma experience. Due to poverty, insecurity, and war, parents more often than not decide to seek out opportunities in the US with little knowledge of the situation of their child’s mental wellbeing. Practitioners have a responsibility to teach immigrant parents about post-immigration trauma to help them comprehend the necessity of looking out for their kid’s mental wellbeing.

The major hurdle to understanding child trauma is the gap in the discoveries made by clinicians and researchers. Counselors rarely make use of some of the methods discussed in this paper. The community thereby has to understand the impact because, without relationships and safety, toddlers fail to develop well.

Even though progress has been made in comprehending and treating childhood mental distress, there exists a gap in the distribution of expertise knowledge among counselors. It may be potent to understand that trauma determines the behavior and emotions of affected kids. Psychotherapists need training in specially designed interferences and they also have the responsibility to educate the public about early childhood trauma. The discoveries of this paper suggest that several treatment approaches might successfully reduce symptoms.

Conclusion

This paper primarily focuses on educating counselors on the effects of early childhood trauma and recommends appropriate diagnosis and treatment of upsetting occurrences. Even though counselors prefer working with extended families and their children, they ought to consider the children of vulnerable populations residing in low-income neighborhoods. Psychoanalysts working with adult clients must provide them with psych education and further issue referrals to professional child trauma therapists.

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