Associate Professor Gretchen Ely and colleagues publish article, "A trauma-informed social work framework for the abortion seeking experience"
Published December 27, 2017 This content is archived.
Congratulations to Associate Professor Gretchen Ely and colleagues on the publication of their article, "A trauma-informed social work framework for the abortion seeking experience."
Ely, G. E., Polmanteer, R. S. R., & Kotting, J. (2017). A trauma-informed social work framework for the abortion seeking experience. Social Work in Mental Health.
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to discuss the abortion seeking experience in relation to stress, trauma, and trauma-informed care. Definitions of stress and trauma are provided, and potential points of stress during the abortion seeking experience will be discussed in the areas of unintended pregnancy, policy barriers, provider access, and the external clinic environment. Abortion stigma will also be discussed in relation to individual stigma, mass media stigma, community stigma, social work practitioner stigma, and the impact of stigma on the abortion seeking experience. Next, we discuss a trauma-informed lens for considering the abortion seeking experience in the United States, and a trauma-informed social work framework for interacting with clients during the abortion experience is presented as a practice approach for reducing and eliminating trauma and trauma triggers. We then present the potential benefits of this approach. The article concludes with some additional recommendations for a trauma-informed approach to aspects of social work advocacy.
