Are interventions in adult inpatient mental health settings influenced by trauma-informed care? A scoping review of the literature

Trauma is of global significance, having a bio-psycho-social-spiritual impact on individuals. The correlation between trauma, mental health conditions and non-communicable disease increases the burden on healthcare systems. Trauma-informed care (TIC) recognises these impacts, emphasises collaborative decision-making, and seeks to empower service users by actively acknowledging their trauma histories. Organisational adoption of TIC, supported by role clarification, mandatory staff training, and environmental redesign, is consistently linked to reductions in restrictive practices (restraint, seclusion, and medication use). Personcentred trauma screening and tailored therapeutic activities yielded significant decreases in aggression, self-harm, distress, and unplanned discharges, while enhancing staff knowledge, confidence, and therapeutic communication. Trauma-informed inpatient interventions in mental health services demonstrably improves both patient and staff outcomes, however it is frequently omitted. Staff time pressures, safety-first priorities, limited leadership endorsement, and inconsistent communication about the rationale for change hinders the implementation of TIC. This scoping review presents evidence exploring whether
interventions in inpatient mental health settings are influenced by trauma-informed care.