Recommendations from Multi-Disciplinary Professionals for Survivor-Informed and Comprehensive Care for Human...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare research
• Mental health treatment
• Trauma-informed care

Background:

• Human trafficking impacts millions globally, leading to psychopathology.
• Limited healthcare research exists on mental health treatment for trafficking survivors.
• Existing research is abundant in public health, criminology, and social work.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather professional recommendations for mental health treatment of trafficking survivors.
• To identify best practices for healthcare providers working with this population.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 multidisciplinary professionals.
• Utilized qualitative content analysis for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Professionals recommended "trafficking survivor-informed care," emphasizing complex trauma and individual contexts (culture, pre-trafficking history).
• A second theme highlighted the need for "comprehensive care," including outreach, interdisciplinary services, case management, and professional training.

Conclusions:

• Conventional mental health service formats are deemed insufficient for trafficking survivors.
• Personalized and comprehensive healthcare approaches are recommended to address survivors' complex needs and trauma histories.