A trauma-informed approach to research

As researchers, we are increasingly aware of how trauma can affect research participants. Even research on less emotionally charged topics can surface unrelated trauma histories. If we choose to shy away from such issues, we risk adversely impacting research experiences, quality and, ultimately, outcomes. 

Instead, we must seek to understand trauma-related risks and challenge disempowering and traumatising research practices. This requires a delicate balance between protecting and empowering participants.

But it is not just participants at risk here. Intensive and sustained exposure to narratives of suffering and injustice, or other distressing content, can harm researchers’ well-being. And many researchers are drawn to research related to issues that have affected them personally. 

These reasons, along with a lack of trauma-informed training across the sector, have prompted many students and early-career researchers to launch peer‑support initiatives. These cultivate communities of practice that place trauma and well-being at their core.

Trauma-informed approaches provide a framework for interactions with those affected by trauma and highlight the need to minimise the risk of retraumatisation and promote inclusion. Guiding principles include safety, trustworthiness and transparency, collaboration, peer support, empowerment, voice and choice and cultural, historical and gender-related issues. Originating in mental health settings, this framework is now applied in a range of settings including healthcare, education and increasingly in qualitative research practice to consider and address the impacts of trauma on individuals, communities and researchers. 

Trauma-informed approaches can shape elements of the research process, from planning and design to data collection to stakeholder engagement and dissemination. 

Researchers must consider trauma and its impacts in research design and planning, and maintain awareness throughout the research process. To do this they should:

• provide and/or undertake researcher training on trauma and trauma-informed approaches
• consider how trauma links to participants’ previous experiences and wider social contexts, as well as to our own perspectives as researchers. This includes evaluating whether exploration of the research topic could be traumatic for participants or us as researchers. Additionally, irrespective of the research topic, some communities are more likely to have experienced trauma. All these points should be considered when assessing risks in research. 
• explore the rationale and likely benefit of research for groups affected by trauma.

A trauma-informed approach to data collection

These interactions may involve direct discussion of trauma experiences. Strategies can accommodate trauma-related needs and ensure that research participation is a positive, empowering experience. 

Planning research interactions

Resources allowing, consider piloting methods with a participant group less likely to be adversely affected to highlight potential ethical or methodological issues before involving communities with greater likelihood of previous trauma exposure.

Consider whether to offer incentives for participation and if so, ensure that these are presented neutrally and avoid any sense of coercion.

Develop a distress protocol: a set of pre-planned steps used to safely handle situations where a participant becomes distressed during a research interaction. Also, ensure adequate resources and personnel are available to keep participants safe (for instance, an additional facilitator or peer supporter and time for breaks).

Provide clear information for participants using plain language, and answer any questions, and adapt to their needs and preferences in terms of location, format and accessibility. Test the technology you’ll be using for online interactions with participants.

Ensure participants and researchers feel safe during interviews and focus groups

Foster participant autonomy by highlighting the options to pause or discontinue, skip questions and discuss safety protocol. Share a question list with participants, and open with one that acknowledges resilience and strengths – for example: “What factors have enabled you to overcome these challenges?” Observe for signs of distress, and offer clear, simple options.

Keep researchers safe using a buddy system, location‑sharing and scheduled check‑ins.

Close interactions safely

Address any further questions and acknowledge participants’ contributions and resilience. Enquire about participants’ well-being and signpost support. Also, discuss how you will use their data and explore whether and how to keep them updated, should they wish to remain involved.

Invite their feedback on the process and ask them if you can check in with them in the coming days to check their well-being.

Reflect on your own well-being, practise self-care and access support if required.

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Trauma-informed strategies for engaging with participants and communities

Partnership with stakeholders and communities can promote equity and foreground participants’ perspectives and priorities, all of which align with trauma-informed principles of collaboration and empowerment.

General principles to follow:

• Invest in relationship-building and shared learning with the community regarding experiences of trauma and resilience.
• Co-create research objectives, protocols and policies, recognising and harnessing individuals’ strengths and skill sets.
• Create structure and predictability for collaboration but stay flexible to meet emerging needs.
• Pay research partners for their contributions.
• Acknowledge limitations and setbacks. 
• Keep in touch after the research process has ended.

Ways to promote researcher well-being

• Reflect on your own potential responses and relationship to the research topics, including how personal experiences may influence the research. Journaling and conversations with peers can help here. 
• Consider how to set boundaries with participants. For example, separate communication channels, such as dedicated work email accounts, can protect researchers’ well-being and privacy.
• Identify informal and formal well-being and peer support. Consider budgeting for access to psychological support or other well-being practices in funding applications.

In addition to individual researcher or research team practice, wider disciplinary and institutional leadership should develop trauma awareness and commit to promoting researcher well-being, trauma-informed research practice and a supportive research culture. 

Tips on dissemination and impact

Research dissemination should benefit affected individuals and communities. Findings should be shared directly with participants and their communities, including via research partners.

To overcome barriers and hierarchies, identify accessible formats and routes for dissemination beyond academic settings. These may include infographics, plain-language summaries, exhibitions or podcasts for generalist audiences. Discuss the most suitable ways with participants and research partners.

While these approaches mirror some existing principles for good research practice, greater intentionality and trauma awareness, including of the impact of social and structural sources of trauma, can meaningfully enhance research practice and outcomes. 

Helen Anne Nolan is an associate professor of medical education and Vicky Panossian is a sociology PhD candidate, both at the University of Warwick.

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These recommendations were informed by practice-based experiences and focus groups to identify needs and inform development of trauma-informed research approaches as part of a cross-institutional collaboration on trauma-informed approaches in higher education.  

Helen’s published work on trauma-informed research approaches for healthcare professions education also informs these recommendations.