Work

Integrating understanding of and care for trauma into general practice: A fundamental aspect of quality whole person care

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Everyday general practice can benefit from integrating understanding of and care for trauma into whole person care. This facilitates new understandings of how lived experience, relationships, culture and context affect complex physiology, disease formation and overall health. OBJECTIVE: This article explores a generalist understanding of how trauma interacts with health, including the biology of trauma and the clinical implications of trauma-informed care. It discusses the general practitioner's (GP's) role in integrating an understanding of and care for trauma into a universal precautions approach to everyday practice. DISCUSSION: Integrating an understanding of and care for trauma into everyday general practice supports GPs to provide both humane whole person care and high-quality biomedical care. It enables early intervention in disease formation, allows GPs to unravel complex presentations and provides a framework for safe, trustworthy, collaborative, empowering and culturally respectful care.

Source: Australian Journal of General Practice

DOI: 10.31128/ajgp-02-25-7575

Authors: Johanna M Lynch, Eleanor Bulford, Helena Roennfeldt, Mary Stewart

Institutions: The University of Queensland, The University of Melbourne, Griffith University, Family Planning NSW

Language: English

Topic: Primary Care and Health Outcomes

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Australian Government