Systems Measures of a Trauma-Informed Approach: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Trauma-informed approaches are increasingly adopted to improve service delivery.
• Varied definitions and limited measurement research challenge effectiveness evaluation.
• Systematic reviews are crucial for understanding current assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and identify systems-based measures for trauma-informed approaches.
• To assess the characteristics and scope of existing trauma-informed measures.
• To identify challenges and opportunities in the measurement of trauma-informed practices.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of peer-reviewed and gray literature (1988-2018).
• Inclusion criteria focused on systems-based measures assessing trauma-informed practices, excluding screening/diagnostic tools.
• Identified 49 relevant measures assessing relational, organizational, and community/system practices.

Main Results:

• 49 systems-based measures were identified, with most (77.6%) focusing on organizational-level staff and climate.
• Measures assessed components of trauma-informed approaches in service delivery.
• Key challenges include inconsistent psychometric data, measure redundancy, and lack of outcome linkage.

Conclusions:

• The field of trauma-informed measurement is emerging but faces significant challenges.
• Inconsistencies in psychometric reporting and measure overlap hinder progress.
• Future research should focus on developing robust measures with clear links to stakeholder outcomes.