Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about using empathy in health communication — like when we’re crafting decision aids or writing materials for people with specific health conditions. Today, we’d like to bring your attention to a topic that has a lot to do with empathy: trauma-informed health communication.
Consider this not-so-fun fact, dear reader: According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 7 out of 10 adults in the U.S. say they’ve experienced at least 1 traumatic event in their life. The effects of trauma can be long-lasting and have mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual impacts. That’s why health care providers are often trained in trauma-informed care — the philosophy that, for care to be effective, a provider needs to understand a patient’s life experiences. And many learn that, when it comes to trauma, it’s best to take a universal precautions approach. Basically, expect that trauma is present in the lives of every person — and take care not to cause more.
Here’s the thing. While a doctor can ask a patient questions, listen to their personal stories, and tailor their approach accordingly, public health communicators usually don’t have that opportunity. But what we can do is apply a universal precautions approach of our own — and be intentional about taking a trauma-informed tack in our writing.
Consider these tips:
Be alert to topics that might be extra sensitive to readers. Some more obvious examples include content related to violence or abuse, mental health, and OB/GYN and urology topics. But even content related to, for example, fitness and nutrition can include triggers — like for people who had traumatizing experiences with disordered eating.
Avoid language that may retraumatize people. Let’s say you’re describing the steps of a pelvic exam. Terms like “spread,” “relax,” or “insert” may be accurate descriptions of parts of the process, but they may also cause a trauma response for someone who’s a survivor of sexual abuse or assault. Try alternatives like:
- Instead of: “Your doctor will insert the swab.”
- Write: “Your doctor will gently place the swab.”
And let’s all agree to stop telling people to relax during pelvic exams, in general, forever.
Look for opportunities to give agency and empower. Instead of describing what will be “required of” or “done to” someone in a health setting, shift the language to emphasize what a person can control and decide. For example:
- Instead of: “For the exam, you will undress from the waist down and lie on your back on the exam table.”
- Write: “You may be asked to remove some of your clothing. If you’re not comfortable taking off clothing, it’s okay to say so. There might be options that can help you feel more at ease.”
Remember that trauma and social determinants of health are connected. Groups who’ve been denied equal access to the resources that support health and well-being are more likely to have a history of trauma as well. And some experts believe that trauma itself is a social determinant of health — for example, experiencing trauma as a child often affects people’s health, well-being, and life opportunities well into adulthood. So keep that front of mind when your primary audience is more likely to be impacted by disparities in social determinants of health.
The bottom line: When we take a trauma-informed approach in our work, we’re doing our part to make sure our health communication materials help instead of harm.
Copy/paste to share on social (and tag us!): Using a trauma-informed approach to health communication helps make sure our messages don’t harm the people who rely on us for clear, accurate health information. Check out CommunicateHealth’s post for more info: https://communicatehealth.com/wehearthealthliteracy/writing-trauma-informed-health-comm-materials/ #HealthCommunication #HealthLiteracy #HealthComm
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