Examining Medical Traumatic Stress Through the Lens of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Medical traumatic stress is common, especially in children with pediatric-onset disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, explains gastroenterologist Addison Cuneo, MD, and many even meet the criteria for PTSD. Explaining that what a doctor perceives as “no big deal” may be life-altering to a patient, she illuminates what research shows about factors that can lead to lasting psychological harm, affecting not only the patient-provider relationship but compliance, future treatment options, outcomes and quality of life. Cuneo illustrates her talk with poignant real-life examples and offers resources for clinicians seeking to improve their skills in trauma-informed care for patients whose conditions may have fractured their sense of agency and identity.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify Describe key factors contributing to medical traumatic stress in pediatric patients with IBD, including the relationship between medical traumatic stress and diverse cultural aspects of patients and families.

• Identify the unique triggers, manifestations, and functional impairments of medical traumatic stress in pediatric onset of chronic illnesses.

• Identify the first steps towards mitigating implicit bias and integrating trauma-informed & trauma-minimizing care into all patient encounters.