Universal screening and trauma informed care: Current concerns and future directions

There is a growing awareness of the prevalence and negative health effects associated with traumatic events, including childhood abuse and adversity, intimate partner violence, adult sexual assault, and exposure to combat and community violence. Health care systems have attempted to address this link by becoming trauma informed through universal trauma precautions and screening protocols. We review several clinical and methodological concerns associated with universal trauma screening in adult health care settings including: deciding which traumas to assess in which populations, integrating retrospective recall with current functioning to facilitate referrals, and guarding against adverse patient reactions and insurance discrimination. We outline potential implications for program development and future research including: adapting and refining screening tools, integrating patient preferences and privacy concerns into screening protocols, assessing resource limitations, and integrating public health advocacy into screening programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).