The Neurobiology of Trauma: Developing a Decision Aid for the Care of Persons After Sexual Assault

The care of the person who has been sexually assaulted is challenging because of the neurobiology of trauma, susceptibility to re-victimization, and time constraints. Everyone involved with their care needs to be cognizant of the psychological-physiological phenomena of trauma in order to provide sensitive, high-quality care to these individuals. The neurobiology of trauma explains why the person's memory may be fragmented or impaired. Trauma-informed care offers choices and empowerment to the person along with safety, cultural awareness, trust, and collaboration. Shared decision making empowers the person by educating them on their care choices in collaboration with the health-care provider. This article discusses the development of a decision aid that supports the information used in shared decision making, for use in planning the care for a person who has been sexually assaulted. Based on the understanding of the neurobiology of trauma, the decision aid incorporates a written tool that provides education and information to prepare the person to make care/treatment decisions which are important to them, within a trauma-informed environment.