Sponsored: UMC New Orleans Helps Trauma Patients Cope | Mental Health

When someone comes to University Medical Center New Orleans after a traumatic event, it can be the start of emotional challenges as they deal with their recovery. Whether the person has been involved in a car accident, work accident, violent incident or other situation, the UMC team ensures that they receive holistic care. Trauma Psychologist Dr. Erika Rajo leads the Trauma Recovery Team, a team of mental health professionals who work alongside clinicians to ensure each patient’s physical and emotional needs are met. Here Dr. Rajo describes how the treatment works and why it is so important.

What are Integrated Medical Services?

This means that mental health services are integrated into the care of a person who comes for medical treatment. The people I see in the hospital don’t come to see a psychologist. They’re here for another medical reason. After they arrive, my team reaches out to provide patients and their loved ones with information about reactions to common trauma and to check in on how they are doing mentally and emotionally. Sometimes they want to talk right away. Other times, we leave them information about our resources, such as our outpatient clinic and support groups. We offer several options, but also meet the person where they are at the time. We don’t push anything they’re not ready for.

How can a person’s mental health affect their physical recovery from trauma?

If someone is not going to physiotherapy because they are afraid to leave the house, it can hinder their progress. Sleep has a huge impact on emotional and physical functions, so if someone is not sleeping due to depression, anxiety, or PTSD, it can also affect their physical condition. These are just two examples. Given this strong mind-body connection, we work closely with the patient’s primary treatment team to help them understand how psychological factors can impact a person’s level of engagement in the treatment process and its interactions with service providers.

What kind of responses do trauma patients have when you reach out?

People are more receptive than not. I am always quick to let them know that our visits are routine and part of their general care. I think the big part of our process is that people who otherwise wouldn’t go to a mental health clinic or recognize the signs of psychological trauma get that information immediately after something happens.

Do trauma patients experience psychological effects immediately after the event or later?

It depends. It is situation-specific and individualized because how someone perceives and reacts to an event is informed by many variables. For example, a person’s previous exposure to trauma, whether experienced directly or by someone close to them, social support, existing strengths and coping resources. Other factors include the severity of physical injuries, insurance or financial stress, safety issues, and whether anyone else was injured or died in the event.

It’s possible to have no signs of psychological trauma or PTSD at first, and then things show up later. A common trauma response is compartmentalization or avoidance. People may put their thoughts aside and move on, but may be triggered later by something that reminds them of the traumatic event. That being said, only about 20-30% of people who have suffered a traumatic injury develop PTSD. It is therefore important to note that most people are able to resume their daily lives without experiencing significant psychological distress.

What is it like to work for a hospital and healthcare system that places such high value on psychological care?

It’s amazing because psychology in a medical setting hasn’t always been well received, even in the other hospitals where I’ve worked. Our team is really appreciated and I think people continually recognize the importance of the psychological aspects of trauma. We are automatically consulted for every trauma patient, but sometimes doctors contact us about a non-trauma patient because they see signs of emotional distress. This means that people here recognize the importance of addressing both the physical and mental aspects of care. We have also taken a number of initiatives to provide support to our own healthcare workers and providers, as they may experience secondary trauma while providing treatment. By supporting the psychological well-being of patients and providers, the work we do as part of the trauma recovery team reflects the hospital’s larger mission to provide our community with patient-centered care that takes into account of trauma.