Develop a presentation that articulates a convincing need for the research proposal you have developed. Refer to the Module Nine resources for additional

The Impact of Early Childhood Trauma on Adolescent Development

PSY-790-10178-M01

Capstone in Psychology

Elizabeth Babskie

January 31, 2025

Table of Contents

I. Introduction……………………………………………………………….…………… 3

· Overview of Research

· Research Questions

· Evaluation of Topic Fit to the Field of Psychology

· Target Audience

II. Literature Review………………………………………………………………………. 7

· Synthesis of Previous Scholarly Research Findings

· Comparison and Evaluation of Studies

· Addressing Research Gaps

· Contribution of Existing Research to Real-World Problems

· Organizing and Aligning the Literature Review to the Message

· Synthesizing Conclusion

III. Research Design………………………………………………………………………… 13

· Research Method

· Support for the Method to be Adopted

· Advantages and Disadvantages of Research Design

· Data-Collection Tools

· Population and Sampling Procedures

· Data Collection Process

· Data Analysis and Reporting

· Limitations and Assumptions

IV. Ethical Consideration…………………………………………………………………… 19

· Ethical Considerations Regarding the Research Problem

· Ethical Considerations Regarding the Population Under Study

· Ethical Considerations Regarding the Data-Collection Instruments and Their Analysis

· Ethical Considerations Regarding Other Aspects of the Study

V. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….……23

The Impact of Early Childhood Trauma on Adolescent Development

I. Introduction

Overview of Research

The impact of early childhood trauma, including experiences such as abuse, neglect, and witnessing violence, has long been a topic of interest in psychology. These early traumatic experiences are known to impact the emotional, cognitive and social development of a person and these effects may persist to even adolescence. The aim of this study is to examine how childhood trauma affects adolescence with specific emphasis on the psychological aspect of emotional and social wellbeing and academic achievement. It also aims at identifying how effective intervention strategies can be used to enhance resilience of adolescents who have gone through such adversities especially in schools. Schools and community organizations, as primary agents of socialization during adolescence, have a unique opportunity to support these young people in overcoming the effects of early trauma.

Research suggests that trauma experienced during early childhood is often linked to disruptions in emotional and cognitive development, leading to difficulties in social interactions and academic engagement. These adolescents may have poor self-regulation skills, interpersonal relationships, and academic performance (Kalogeratos et al., 2024). Measures that can help in preventing or overcoming these challenges include; trauma informed care, SEL, and mental health services can go along way in reducing the impacts of early trauma. Realizing the need for early interventions, this study seeks to fill the gap between the knowledge of the theory of trauma and the application of intervention with specific emphasis on schools and community-based organizations for traumatized adolescents.

Research Questions

The proposed research aims to explore the lingering psychosocial effects of early childhood trauma, particularly how these residuals manifest during adolescence. A key inquiry in this study is identifying the specific ways in which early trauma continues to influence to determine how adolescents are affected by early trauma in terms of their emotional, cognitive and social development. Also, the study will assess whether childhood trauma has any effects on academic and social achievement in the later years. Knowledge of these effects can help in the formulation of long-term impact of early childhood stressors on human beings. Another major area of emphasis of the study is to establish what can be done to help adolescents who have experienced early trauma to become resilient. With reference to various therapeutic, educational, as well as community-based interventions, the study aims at identifying effective interventions that can enhance the development of adaptive coping styles and improved well-being. Lastly, the study will explore how schools and community organizations can design supportive environments tailored to the needs of these adolescents. By addressing these research questions, the study aims to bridge the gap between trauma theory and practical intervention strategies, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of how to support traumatized adolescents in academic and social settings.

Evaluation of Topic Fit to the Field of Psychology

The topic of review is trauma experienced during early childhood and its repercussions in later adolescent years. Trauma psychology generally falls under developmental psychology. Scientific evidence has already demonstrated that experiences of trauma significantly alter emotional modulation, cognitive maturation, and social functioning early in life. These changes contribute mightily toward structuring how well adolescents perform mental health, or disorders concerning them, for example, symptoms indicating PTSD, major depression, or anxiety problems. This study seeks to help build in its own unique area of resilient development interventions through schooling and at communities and elaborate on what psychological mechanisms undergo these and thereby apply interventions when the developing world needs care support.

Target Audience

The primary audience for this research includes mental health professionals, educators, and community leaders who work with adolescents, particularly those in school and community settings. This study will be useful to school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and educators who work with young people and their mental health. Also, other community organizations that deal with at-risk youths can benefit from the findings of this research since it will offer recommendations on the kind of interventions that can be implemented to enhance resilience among youths who have experienced early traumas.

This study will also be useful to scholars in the field of developmental psychology because it considers the impact of early childhood trauma on development. Other researchers who may have interest in trauma, resilience, and adolescent development will be in a position to expand from this study and understand the various ways in which early experiences have an impact on later outcomes. In this way, filling the gaps in the current state of knowledge, this study will provide fresh information on how further interventions can be developed to support adolescents who were exposed to early trauma and help them become successful individuals.

II. Literature Review

Synthesis of Previous Scholarly Research Findings

The literature review of early childhood trauma and its impact on adolescent development can be considered rather well-developed, especially the works that can be referred to as classical, including that of Felitti et al. (1998) that established the relationship between ACEs and health issues in the future. According to the study conducted by Felitti et al., it was evident that early trauma increases the vulnerability to mental health disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. However, their study was mainly concerned with adults and there was no significant concern given to the developmental stage of adolescents. This is a big gap since the adolescent phase is a very sensitive stage of human development, and early trauma at this stage has different effects that may not be observed when the person is an adult. To some extent, this research will seek to fill this gap by concentrating on adolescent development and the psychosocial impact of trauma during this age.

Another important study by Bethell et al. (2014) extends the ACEs framework by focusing on the protective factors that may help to reduce the impact of childhood adversity. Their research is mainly concerned with the relationship between early adversity and disaffiliation from school, and health consequences. Bethell et al. (2014) note that resilience is something that can be built in children and it is very effective in mitigating the effects of trauma. However, the study has not gone further to explain the kind of interventions that can be used to enhance resilience among adolescents especially in school. This is an area that the proposed research intends to focus on as a way of establishing more information. This study will therefore seek to investigate how school-based interventions can help in building resilience in adolescents and helping them cope with the effects of early childhood trauma.

On the same note, Brunzell et al. (2016) presented trauma-informed education as a model that seeks to adopt trauma-sensitive practices in school for learners with ACEs. This model also encourages the use of positive psychology, which is the study of the positive traits rather than the negative aspects. According to Brunzell et al. (2016), trauma-sensitive schools may enhance the learning process and the outcomes of traumatized learners. However, one has to note that the study does not provide quantitative evidence that would allow for generalizing the results of the research to various educational contexts. This gap is important because it raises concern on the current available literature that lacks empirical research evidence on the implementation of trauma-informed education in various school settings. This research will endeavour to do so by exploring trauma-informed interventions and their effectiveness in the improvement of adolescent resilience as well as increased academic performance.

Alisic et al. (2014) discussed PTSD in children and adolescents and factors associated with it and the need for early treatment. They stressed the high rate of PTSD in traumatized children and the need to intervene as soon as possible. Although their study was useful in establishing the link between trauma and PTSD, this study only looked at this one mental health outcome and not the other possible problems that traumatized children may experience, including depression, anxiety, or social isolation. The generalisability of this study is restricted to PTSD since the authors do not explore other forms of mental health that may be associated with early trauma among adolescents. This study intends to widen the scope to the other mental health related issues, like anxiety and depression and examine a range of various treatments for these problems.

Bryant and Deane (2022) conducted a comprehensive review of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for trauma-related disorders in children and adolescents. They focused on CBT as a potentially helpful therapeutic model in PTSD and this model is commonly used. Nevertheless, the review covered only CBT and did not examine other POTs like mindfulness-based therapies or family-based interventions that might be helpful for treating adolescents with trauma history. Although CBT has been demonstrated efficacy for the most part it is not a universal treatment and other forms of therapy might be helpful. This research will add value to the already existing literature by incorporating other forms of therapy such as mindfulness and family therapy and also to understand how all these therapies can be modified and implemented in the school and community settings to impact traumatized adolescents.

Comparison and Evaluation of Studies

A comparison of the studies have highlighted several issues with concerns to the trends and limitations. First, although Felitti et al. (1998) and Bethell et al. (2014) explored the long-term dangerous outcome of childhood trauma, including but not limited to mental health, they did not discussed about the approach or strategies aimed at the adolescents. There is a necessity to conduct research on the interventions for adolescents because this group of people is in a different developmental stage and needs appropriate attention. While the study by Brunzell et al. (2016) provides a good framework on how trauma-informed education should be conducted, it does not present rigorous data that would allow for generalization of the results obtained in different educational contexts. This is an area of weakness that the proposed research will fill by collecting data on the impact of trauma-informed practices in schools.

In addition, the studies conducted by Alisic et al. (2014) and Bryant & Deane (2022) highlight PTSD and CBT correspondingly; however, they do not consider other mental health outcomes or possible therapeutic approaches which may be more suitable for the adolescents. For instance, mindfulness and family-based therapies that have been found effective in treatment of trauma and resilience in adolescents are not well covered. Thus, the broadening of the range of interventions in question will enable this research to offer a broader perspective on the therapeutic management of adolescents with trauma.

Addressing Research Gaps

One weakness noted in the literature is that there is limited research done on the general intervention strategies that can be used to promote resilience in adolescents with more emphasis on school-age youths. Even though the concept of resilience is frequently mentioned in literature, there is little empirical work done to explain how the practices aimed at building resilience can be implemented in school contexts. Most of them are dedicated to the topic of trauma and its outcomes, including PTSD, but they do not consider the question of how to enhance resilience in youth in schools. This is a major gap because schools are a major part of adolescents’ lives and can be the ideal places to deliver care and resilience interventions for traumatized children.

Another notable gap is the focus on PTSD as the primary mental health outcome associated with childhood trauma, with less attention given to other issues such as depression, anxiety, or social withdrawal. It is also important to take a broader view of the potential impact of early trauma on adolescents since those who have been through trauma are at risk for developing various mental health issues. Moreover, although the literature emphasizes the significance of early intervention, there is a lack of literature on how schools and community organizations can systematically adopt trauma-informed practices that foster resilience. This research will aim at filling these gaps by examining various therapeutic approaches such as CBT, mindfulness, and family therapy and assessing how these can be implemented in schools for the affected adolescents.

Contribution of Existing Research to Real-World Problems

The existing body of research on childhood trauma is highly relevant to the real world especially in the areas of health, education and social services. These studies show that failure to address trauma early in the life of an adolescent is likely to lead to severe mental health complications in the future. It is increasingly becoming evident that there is a need to adopt trauma-sensitive approaches in schools and other settings where youths are found. With the growing body of knowledge on trauma and resilience, it is evident that educational facilities and community agencies can significantly reduce the impact of trauma.

This research will be useful in expanding the knowledge about the possibilities of how schools can help to prevent adverse effects of trauma and promote well-being of adolescents. In this way, the findings of the current research will be practical, and the latter will provide recommendations for educational institutions and community organizations that will help adolescents who experienced trauma. In addition, by exploring various types of therapies, this research will help to expand the understanding of how to provide better treatment to traumatized youth by considering their multiple mental health issues. The research findings can benefit a vulnerable population by enhancing mental health and identifying ways through which adolescents can be assisted to overcome the impacts of early abuse.

Organizing and Aligning the Literature Review to the Message

The literature review is done in a manner that logically lays down the groundwork for the chosen research topic and its significance in psychology. It starts with a review of literature on childhood trauma and its effect on adolescent development; the second part compares the studies in order to define the shortcomings and limitations of the given field. The review also identifies the research questions that this study seeks to answer, with the gaps being the lack of adequate research on resilience promotion in adolescents especially in school settings. Last, the review establishes the contribution of previous studies to practice and how this study will help to address the existing gaps and provide recommendations for the care of adolescents with early trauma.

The literature review shows that there is a gap in the literature concerning the development of interventions that would help adolescents who experienced early trauma to build resilience. As it has been noted in the previous research, trauma and PTSD have been found to be prevalent in the general population, however, there is limited research on the intervention strategies in schools. This research seeks to fill this gap by examining different therapeutic approaches including CBT, mindfulness and family therapies and assessing their applicability in helping adolescents in school settings. In doing so, the study will be of significant value to the field of psychology and help enhance the quality of life of adolescents who are affected by early trauma.

III. Research Design

Research Method

The research design will be mixed methods, wherein both the quantitative and qualitative approaches are merged to give a correct understanding of the research problem. This is because this method gives a clear understanding of the research problem due to the confluence of both methods' strengths. Quantitative data will enable statistical proof of early childhood trauma association with adolescent mental health, whereas the qualitative data will show profound experiences lived by adolescents themselves and how trauma influences mechanisms of development (Berry et al., 2021).

Support for the Method to be Adopted.

A mixed-methods approach to the subject of discussion best applies for numerous reasons. Quantitatively it shall allow the determination of the prevalence and level of seriousness of a mental health issue among adolescents with early childhood trauma experiences. The surveys and psychological assessments being standardized surveys, data will be acquired, which might be generalizable. Qualitative it holds in-depth interviews among adolescents, caregivers, and mental health professionals regarding subjective experiences pertaining to trauma and their impact upon development. This inclusion provides an overview because it captures the broader and deeper concern of the matter.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Research Design

The mixed-methods design comes with various benefits. First, it facilitates triangulation whereby data findings from both the quantitative and qualitative methods may be cross calibrated against one another for results validity to increase. Second, it offers flexibility in terms of data collection and analysis, and the researcher has ample room to adapt the study as new insights come forth. However, there are still some weaknesses to be realized. The mixed-methods approach can be very time-consuming and resource-intensive, requiring expertise both in quantitative and qualitative research methods. Moreover, there are a lot of challenges when trying to combine both types of data, especially if the findings from each method conflict. Despite the above challenges, a mixed-methods design is appropriate for this study since it responds to the objectives of research by establishing statistical relationships as well as the lived experiences of trauma. It permits an in-depth exploration of the research questions, something that cannot be achieved using only one method.

Data-Collection Tools

Quantitative data shall be collected using standardized instruments such as the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Youth Self-Report. Another instrument that has been commonly used is the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, which is well accepted with good reliability and validity for childhood trauma assessment. Youth Self-Report is a self-report measure for assessing emotional and behavioral problems among adolescents, hence providing a detailed picture of the mental health outcome. These instruments are well validated and have been used extensively before in research about childhood trauma and adolescent mental health. For the qualitative section, semi-structured interviews will be held with adolescents, caregivers, and mental health professionals.

An interview guide will be developed based on a literature review that shall include open-ended questions to allow for detailed responses regarding the experiences of trauma and its impact on the participants' mental health and development. Qualitative data will be valid and dependable through member checking whereby the participants are asked for their consent to have a look at their responses to authenticate them, and triangulation whereby data from different sources are cross-checked to ensure congruence.

Population and Sampling Procedures

The targeted population for this research is adolescents aged 12-18 years who have experienced traumatic experiences early in life, that is, before reaching the age of 6. The study participants will be recruited from schools, mental health clinics, and community organizations dealing with at-risk youth. Purposive sampling will be used to ensure that the sample is representative concerning gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic status and type of trauma experienced. This is justifiable because this approach allows the inclusion of participants who are highly likely to produce rich and varied data about the research topic.

Data Collection Process

Recruitment of participants for data collection: Flyers and information materials will be sent to schools, clinics, and community organizations, to the adolescent population and their caregivers to volunteer to participate in the research. Interested participants will be given proper information on what the study intends to do and its methods so that they know about possible risks or benefits involved. Adolescents and their caregivers will be required to give consent after which the data collection begins.

When participants have given their consent, participants will be issued the questionnaire for the quantitative surveys either online or in manual versions based on participants' preference. The qualitative interview will be done in a secluded place within a private facility through either in a face-to-face meeting or video conference, and voice audio recording provided with informed consent. Its duration will about 60 – 90 min, and those will be carried out verbatim for analysis of the content of the interviews.

Data Analysis and Reporting

The quantitative data will be analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) or R and all the analysis will be done in line with the ethical consideration on handling of sensitive data. The quantitative method also entails the use of descriptive and inferential statistics to establish the connection between early childhood trauma and adolescent mental health; however, there are control variables like socioeconomic status and family environment. For the qualitative data, thematic analysis will be used to analyze the results to ensure that the study captures the participants’ experiences and as a way of making sure that the study represents the views of the participants (Peverill et al., 2023). This approach is to ensure that the two types of data that are collected are analyzed in an ethical manner that respects the participants’ voices and experiences.

Limitations and Assumptions

One limitation of this study is that participants may struggle to recall childhood events accurately or may hesitate to disclose distressing experiences. Additionally, self-reported measures introduce social desirability bias, potentially affecting responses. To address this, caregiver and clinical ratings will be incorporated for a more comprehensive view. The study’s cross-sectional design also limits causal conclusions between early trauma and adolescent mental health (Bernard et al., 2021). This limitation will be acknowledged, and future research using longitudinal designs will be recommended to explore long-term trauma effects.

IV. Ethical Considerations

As the population is comprised of people with traumatizing experiences special attention will be paid to the possible threat related to narration of such events. Thus, in order to alleviate these risks qualified psychological workers will be available during the study to provide participants with psychological assistance if needed. This consideration is consistent with the code of ethical conduct of APA which highlighted the dignity of participants and tried to avoid any harm that may result from their involvement in the research.

Ethical Considerations Regarding the Research Problem

Several ethical issues can be identified in the research problem itself as well as in the context of the proposed study. The topic is quite sensitive in a way, as it concerns people who may experience discomfort while discussing the events that have caused them suffering. It is important that the researcher accepts that there is a possibility of causing harm and or distress to the participants while conducting the study especially during interviews where they are asked to recall painful past experiences. To reduce the risk of emotional distress, the participants will be provided with the number of mental health professionals who will be available to attend to any participant who develops distress during or after the study (De Figueiredo et al., 2021). Also, the participants will be informed of their freedom to withdraw from the study at any given time without any repercussions. This makes sure that the participants do not feel forced to be part of the study in case they develop some level of discomfort or distress.

In compliance with the ethical consideration, consent to participate in the study will be sought from both the adolescents and their caregivers. The informed consent will involve the disclosure of the objectives of the study, the procedures that are to be followed in data collection, the possible risks and benefits of being in the study and the fact that participation is voluntary. Participants in the adolescent group will be given age-appropriate account of the study and the roles that they are expected to play so that they can ask any questions if any.

Ethical Considerations Regarding the Population Under Study

The main participants of this study are adolescents of the age of 12-18 years who have been subjected to early childhood trauma. This is a vulnerable group because trauma results in various emotional, behavioral, and psychological concern during teenage (Knipschild et al., 2024). Adolescents are in a vulnerable stage to develop and need much attention concerning their independence, privacy and other aspects.

As one of the ethical measures, identification and protection of the rights of participants to confidentiality and privacy will be observed in the study. Personal information of the participants will also not be included in the results, and each participant will be assigned a number instead. Data collected will be only accessible to the research team to eliminate any unauthorized personnel from gaining access to the information. Furthermore, the participants will be told that their identity will not be revealed in any report or presentation of the study results hence the privacy of the participants will be respected.

Since the target population consists of vulnerable individuals, special attention will be paid to the possible hazards related to the disclosure of trauma. To avoid this, licensed mental health care providers will be present during the study to attend to the emotional needs of the participants in case they are needed. This consideration is in line with the ethical principles outlined by APA such as the necessity to do no harm and to protect the well-being of the participants involved in the research (American Psychological Association, 2017).

Ethical Considerations Regarding the Data-Collection Instruments and Their Analysis

The research instrument employed in this study includes the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR), interviews, adolescent response questionnaires, caregiver interviews, and expert clinician interviews. Since the current study focuses