Alix Woolard

Children with serious burns often suffer psychosocial consequences. This study evaluated the pilot of a six-session psychoeducational intervention newly designed to support the wellbeing of children who experienced burns. Each one-hour session was delivered online to individuals at times deemed convenient to participants, by trained facilitators (mental health researchers and other allied health professionals). The pilot was single-arm, with psychosocial screening administered at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 6- and 12- month follow-ups. Eligible participants were 6-17 years, 6-weeks to 2-years post-burn, the burn must be non-intentional, without cognitive disability or existing mental health concerns in themselves or their parents. Interviews post-intervention explored acceptability. Overall, 27 young people were recruited; 12 started and completed the intervention, but 8 young people were lost to follow-up by the end of the follow-up period. Results from the problem and syndrome subscales of the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Child Behavioural Checklist showed that group medians did not significantly change over the post-intervention follow-up period. The individual-based characteristics showed that some young people improved on one to three YSR subscales (n=3), stagnated (n=3), and two young people started within clinical ranges while showing deterioration throughout the follow-up period. Qualitative data (n = 2) showed that the content was applicable to the needs of the young people. The results indicate some benefit to the young people but further investigation is required to ascertain the Wellbeing Program’s effectiveness in improving the psychosocial outcomes of young people who have sustained a burn injury.

Despite the various traumatic events that a young person living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may experience, little is known about the burden and manifestation of traumatic stress in this population. Though mental health outcomes have been explored generally, medical trauma-sensitive approaches to understanding these experiences remain limited. We utilised a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the impact of T1D on young people’s mental health through the paediatric medical traumatic stress model (PMTS). Young people aged 13–30 living with T1D were interviewed. These interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Three main themes were generated: (1) perceived sources of trauma throughout the T1D journey, (2) responses to and consequences of trauma, and (3) role of resilience throughout the T1D journey. The first and second themes elucidate the sources of traumatic stress ranging from physiological, clinical, and social experiences. Furthermore, the consequences of unaddressed trauma are observed throughout adolescence, but is most evident in the transition between adolescence and young adulthood. The final theme refers to sources of resilience for young people living with T1D and its role in mitigating the consequences of adverse trauma immediately post-diagnosis and in the long term. Application of the PMTS model to these experiences offers a novel perspective on young people’s experiences of living with T1D and enhances our understanding of trauma and traumatic stress in this population. Findings suggest that interventions focused on bolstering resilience might contribute to the prevention of long-term adverse mental health outcomes for young people living with T1D.

Background: Children and young people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience high rates of mental ill health and stress due to the emotional and cognitive energy required to manage their condition. Our team has codesigned Wellbeing T1D, a brief trauma‐informed online intervention for adolescents living with T1D. This 5‐week intervention will teach skills to promote problem solving, improve emotional regulation and promote helpful thinking and coping. Objectives: The aim of this project is to pilot the Wellbeing project with Australian adolescents, aged 13–17 years. The feasibility and potential effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated. We hypothesise that the Wellbeing project will show efficacy in improving the well‐being, resilience and coping skills of adolescents with T1D. Methods: A double arm, pre–post longitudinal study design will be employed, with an intervention group and a non‐intervention group receiving treatment as usual, to determine the potential effectiveness of the intervention content and delivery. We aim to recruit approximately 40 adolescents, at least 6 months post‐T1D diagnosis, to take part in the intervention. We will measure changes in participants' level of optimism, self‐compassion and diabetes‐specific distress and resilience at three timepoints. Conclusion: This protocol outlines the first trauma‐informed intervention aimed at addressing symptoms of traumatic stress in this population. Wellbeing T1D has the potential to be used in a variety of settings (both clinical and non‐clinical) to reduce the disease burden on adolescents living with T1D and their families, improve long‐term mental health outcomes and ultimately reduce morbidity from diabetes and its other physical complications.

Background: Social media allows users to connect with others’ experiences and points of view, with TikTok being the fastest-growing platform worldwide. Highly viewed videos related to neurodiversity on TikTok have an increasing role in understanding and acceptance of neurodivergent individuals. However, little is known about the type of such highly viewed TikTok content, including how neurodivergent individuals depict themselves or are depicted by others. This study aimed to explore neurodivergent content within highly viewed TikTok videos using autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related hashtags. Methods: We identified publicly available videos ( n = 500) using hashtags with high view counts (#autism, #actuallyautistic, #autismawareness, #autismacceptance, #audhd, #adhd, #adhdtiktok, #adhdcheck, #adhdawareness, #neurospicy; 50 selected per hashtag). We coded videos identified for feature extraction for engagement metrics, demographics, and type of included content, with 20% randomly selected for qualitative reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Most videos depicted creators with lived experience of ADHD and/or autism, with videos using ADHD hashtags most often from the perspective of individuals with ADHD and autism videos including a broader range of perspectives from autistic creators and loved ones (parents, siblings, partners). Most content shared personal experiences, often with humorous or self-deprecating overtures. We developed several themes: (1) lived neurodivergent experiences, (2) sensory differences and experiences, (3) family and relationships, and (4) portrayals of neurodivergence. Subthemes included invisible presentations of autism and ADHD, appreciation for community support and accommodations, sharing of strengths and challenges, and the impact of co-occurring conditions. Discussion: Engaging on social media can be a powerful medium to find and enhance feelings of connection with the autistic and ADHD communities, with various perspectives and experiences portrayed by creators using neurodiversity-related hashtags. Further research is needed to understand how users perceive or interpret such content, both within and outside the neurodivergent community.

Transgender and gender diverse ("trans") people are more likely to experience adverse mental health outcomes due to the social adversities that are commonly experienced. One ameliorating factor for poor mental health outcomes can be connection to community, often facilitated in online spaces such as TikTok. This study aimed to describe the types of content on TikTok that a trans person may encounter. A digital ethnographic methodology was used. The research team created an account on TikTok, then curated the For You Page (FYP) by engaging in trans-related content. Data was then collected via the first 150 videos that appeared on the FYP. Publicly available demographic variables on the video were collected manually. Videos were included if they were created by Trans creators discussing factors which could impact mental health, such as social support or adversity. Qualitative inductive content analysis was then performed on video content and the top 5 comments to generate categories. Data collection through analysis was performed between September and November 2023. Three main categories were generated: (1) community connection, (2) engaging in discourse, (3) recounting experiences of social adversity. The categories highlight the trans community's willingness to share information, experiences with each other as a form of online support. In addition, trans users were active in engaging with discourses about trans identities and politics. As part of sharing experiences and information, trans users also highlighted the social adversity they have experienced directly tied to their trans identity. The results have shown that the curation of the FYP to reflect trans-related content can be a safe space for trans people to find social support. This implies benefits to the use of TikTok on mental health and wellbeing. Future studies should investigate the mental health impacts of engagement on TikTok among trans people.

Experiencing trauma may adversely impact a child’s education, and research in this field requires a deeper understanding about how those working in the education system, specifically pre-service teachers, can respond and support children impacted by trauma. Pre-service teachers, who are our future teachers, play a role in recognising and helping children when signs of trauma are revealed, but risk re-traumatising children if not adequately trained during their university education. The aim of this study was to identify pre-service teachers’ perceptions on education they have received about trauma, along with their knowledge and experiences in supporting and working with trauma-impacted children whilst on practicums. A qualitative approach was utilised to gain insight into the experiences of 15 undergraduate pre-service teachers from three Western Australian (WA) universities. Results highlight the importance of teachers’ training and education in preparation for appropriate responses to children potentially impacted by trauma. Our study provides evidence that pre-service teachers are not receiving sufficient university trauma training regarding how to support children potentially impacted by trauma and feel underprepared on practicums. Participants reported a lack of support from primary schools and their university, and limited trauma-informed practices in the classrooms, demonstrating the necessity for conceptual changes around education for schools and universities. The results of this study are relevant for education sectors in ensuring adequate training of our future teachers, universities in their teaching courses and for schools in how best to support their practicum students.

Dissociative symptoms are linked to experiences of trauma, often originating in childhood and adolescence. Dissociative disorders are associated with a high burden of illness and a poor quality of life. Despite evidence suggesting that early intervention can improve outcomes, little research exists on the treatment of dissociative disorders in childhood and adolescence. The current study aimed to systematically review the existing body of literature to identify current treatments applied within child and adolescent populations diagnosed with a dissociative disorder. This review was conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines. Databases were searched for relevant publications, resulting in 3,064 papers to be screened. Articles were included if they involved child or adolescent populations experiencing dissociation and undergoing treatment. Seven articles were included in the current review: two quantitative and five case studies. Treatment duration varied greatly, ranging from 1 to 29 months. Treatments were mostly combinations of psychotherapy, dialectical behavior therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, as well as adjunctive therapies such as mindfulness and psychoeducation. Our study demonstrated that the literature on current treatment for children and adolescents is clearly scarce, with only seven studies, five of which were case studies and two of which were over 20 years old. The treatments used for dissociation in children and adolescents experiencing dissociation were varied, but psychotherapy was the most used treatment method. This review has revealed that there is no clear framework that exists for the treatment of dissociation in child and adolescent patients, despite the need for one. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Background: Experiencing a traumatic event can significantly impact mental and emotional well-being. Social media platforms offer spaces for sharing stories, seeking support, and accessing psychoeducation. TikTok (ByteDance), a rapidly growing social media platform, is increasingly used for advice, validation, and information, although the content of this requires further study. Research is particularly needed to better understand TikTok content relating to trauma and the potential implications for young viewers, considering the distressing nature of the subject and the possibility of users experiencing vicarious trauma through exposure to these videos. Objective: This study aims to explore the content of trauma-related videos on TikTok, focusing on hashtags related to trauma. Specifically, this study analyzes how TikTok videos present information, advice, stories, and support relating to trauma. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive content analysis was performed on TikTok in December 2022. A total of 5 hashtags related to trauma were selected: #trauma, #traumatized, #traumatok, #traumatic, and #traumabond, with the top 50 videos from each hashtag analyzed (total N=250 videos). A standardized codebook was developed inductively to analyze the content of the videos, while an existing generic codebook was used to collect the video features (eg, age of people in the video) and metadata (likes, comments, and shares) for each video. Results: A total of 2 major content themes were identified, which were instructional videos (54/250, 21.6%) and videos disclosing personal stories (168/250, 67.3%). The videos garnered significant engagement, with a total of 296.6 million likes, 2.3 million comments, and 4.6 million shares, indicating that users find this content engaging and useful. Alarmingly, only 3.7% (9/250) of videos included a trigger warning, despite many featuring highly distressing stories that young people and those with trauma may be exposed to. Conclusions: The study highlights the potential risks of vicarious trauma due to trauma dumping without trigger warnings on TikTok, and the need for further research to assess the accuracy of advice and information in these videos. However, it also underscores the platform’s potential to foster social connections, provide validation, and reduce stigma around mental health issues. Public health professionals should leverage social media to disseminate accurate mental health information, while promoting user education and content moderation to mitigate potential harms. People often use social media, such as TikTok to share advice, stories, and support around mental health, including their experiences with trauma. Out of 250 videos, most were either giving advice (54/250, 21.6%) or sharing personal experiences (168/250, 67.3%). The study found many videos lacked warnings about upsetting content, which could potentially harm young viewers or people suffering from trauma. While TikTok can help people feel connected and reduce the stigma around mental health, it is important to seek support from professionals when needed.

Objective: To investigate how dieting is portrayed on TikTok and the potential implications for public health considering the effect of diet culture on eating disorders amongst young people. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive content analysis of 250 videos from the five most popular diet-related hashtags. A codebook was developed to analyse the content of the videos and collect the engagement for each video (likes, comments and shares). Setting: TikTok website. Participants: There were no participants in this study. Results: More than half of the videos portrayed ‘body checking’, a potentially harmful practice for body image. Of the videos that represented body image, almost half represented body image negatively. However, most videos promoted the idea of ‘healthy eating’, and only 6·4 % displayed disordered eating behaviours. Over half of the videos provided dietary advice, and of those videos, most content creators claimed to be experts (64 %). Claiming expertise was not significantly associated with engagement; however, the use of humour was significantly associated with engagement. Additionally, males were more likely than females to disclose their goals of the diet. Conclusions: Overall, it appears that TikTok is commonly used to share nutrition tips and personal experiences around dieting and eating in general, often employing humour as an effective technique. The popularity of the platform and rapid dissemination of information would be a useful tool for health professionals, especially those working with eating disorders, to utilise.