Trauma-Informed Design and Student Well-Being in Higher Education: An Exploratory, Descriptive Study
Abstract
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been heightened reports of stress and trauma among students. Despite increasing evidence of the importance of trauma-informed design (TID) in healthcare and housing, its application in higher education settings remains underexplored. TID incorporates elements that create environments conducive to safety, well-being, and healing, which are critical for academic success. Design elements in the built environment that have the potential to reduce student and nurse stress and promote learning include access to nature and outside areas, safety and privacy features, and ambient noise and sound dampening features, for example. This study aims to assess students' perceptions of their higher education-built environment and explore the association between trauma-informed design elements in the built environment and nursing and engineering students' learning outcomes, stress levels, and overall well-being within an institution of higher education. A pilot survey, informed by the TID Society framework, was administered to undergraduate students during Spring and Fall semesters of 2024 in a School of Nursing and a School of Engineering at a small, liberal arts university in the Pacific Northwest. A total of 163 surveys were completed by students ranging from 1st to 5th year, split between nursing and engineering programs. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of open-ended questions was performed. Initial analysis reveals that while most students agreed they felt physically safe, fewer reported feeling psychologically safe within their academic environments. Overall, students expressed a positive connection to nature, a sense of orientation and belonging, and security. However, the lack of flexibility and variety in environmental elements, such as seating options, were areas of concern, particularly in both schools. Environmental factors related to agreeing or disagreeing with trauma-informed design domains will be reviewed, and domain correlation with academic performance, stress levels, and well-being will be presented. Trauma-informed spaces in academic settings can support learning and reduce stress among students. Findings will guide discussions with university administrators, faculty, and designers to enhance campus environments and promote student engagement, learning, and well-being in an understudied area of higher education, the built environment.
Notes
References:
1. Ajeen, R., Ajeen, D., Wisdom, J. P., Greene, J. A., Lepage, T., Sjoelin, C., ... & Brancu, M. (2023). The impact of trauma-informed design on psychological well-being in homeless shelters. Psychological services, 20(3), 680.
2. Clark, C. S., & Aboueissa, A. E. M. (2021). Nursing students’ adverse childhood experience scores: A national survey. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 18(1), 20210013.
3. Crosby, S. D. (2015). An ecological perspective on emerging trauma informed teaching practices. Children & Schools, 37(4), 223-230.
4. Doughty, K. (2018). Increasing trauma informed awareness in higher education. Wilmington University (Delaware): ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
5. Ernest, B. W., Reaves, M., & Smith, R. (2022). The state of trauma informed practice in education: A focused review of literature. Educational Research: Theory and Practice, 33(1), 7-13.
6. Henshaw, L. A. (2022). Building trauma-informed approaches in higher education. Behavioral Sciences, 12(10), 368.
7. Jewkes, Y., Jordan, M., Wright, S., & Bendelow, G. (2019). Designing ‘healthy’prisons for women: Incorporating trauma-informed care and practice (TICP) into prison planning and design. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(20), 3818.
8. Manian, N., Rog, D. J., Lieberman, L., & Kerr, E. M. (2022). The organizational trauma informed practices tool (OTIPs): Development and preliminary validation. Journal of Community Psychology, 50(1), 515-540.
9. Owen, C., & Crane, J. (2022). Trauma-informed design of supported housing: a scoping review through the lens of neuroscience. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(21), 14279.
10. Thomas, M. S., Crosby, S., & Vanderhaar, J. (2019). Trauma-informed practices in schools across two decades: An interdisciplinary review of research. Review of Research in Education, 43(1), 422-452.
11. Trauma-Informed Design Society. (n.d.). Trauma-informed design. Retrieved 11-11-2024, from https://www.traumainformeddesign.org/
Sigma Membership
Omicron Upsilon
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Stress and Coping, Interprofessional Initiatives, Teaching and Learning Strategies
Recommended Citation
Sadorra, Isabelle; Mayer, Kala; Poor, Cara; Mattern, Olivia; and Small, Bella, "Trauma-Informed Design and Student Well-Being in Higher Education: An Exploratory, Descriptive Study" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 64.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/64
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Trauma-Informed Design and Student Well-Being in Higher Education: An Exploratory, Descriptive Study
Seattle, Washington, USA
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been heightened reports of stress and trauma among students. Despite increasing evidence of the importance of trauma-informed design (TID) in healthcare and housing, its application in higher education settings remains underexplored. TID incorporates elements that create environments conducive to safety, well-being, and healing, which are critical for academic success. Design elements in the built environment that have the potential to reduce student and nurse stress and promote learning include access to nature and outside areas, safety and privacy features, and ambient noise and sound dampening features, for example. This study aims to assess students' perceptions of their higher education-built environment and explore the association between trauma-informed design elements in the built environment and nursing and engineering students' learning outcomes, stress levels, and overall well-being within an institution of higher education. A pilot survey, informed by the TID Society framework, was administered to undergraduate students during Spring and Fall semesters of 2024 in a School of Nursing and a School of Engineering at a small, liberal arts university in the Pacific Northwest. A total of 163 surveys were completed by students ranging from 1st to 5th year, split between nursing and engineering programs. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of open-ended questions was performed. Initial analysis reveals that while most students agreed they felt physically safe, fewer reported feeling psychologically safe within their academic environments. Overall, students expressed a positive connection to nature, a sense of orientation and belonging, and security. However, the lack of flexibility and variety in environmental elements, such as seating options, were areas of concern, particularly in both schools. Environmental factors related to agreeing or disagreeing with trauma-informed design domains will be reviewed, and domain correlation with academic performance, stress levels, and well-being will be presented. Trauma-informed spaces in academic settings can support learning and reduce stress among students. Findings will guide discussions with university administrators, faculty, and designers to enhance campus environments and promote student engagement, learning, and well-being in an understudied area of higher education, the built environment.
Description
Despite increasing evidence of the importance of trauma-informed design (TID) in healthcare and housing, its application in higher education settings remains underexplored. This study aims to assess students' perceptions of their higher education-built environment and explore the association between trauma-informed design elements in the built environment and nursing and engineering students' learning outcomes, stress levels, and overall well-being within an institution of higher education.