Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and Trauma-Informed Care for Children Exposed to Community Violence.

Racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes and access have been consistently documented for a wide variety of physical and behavioral health conditions. Health inequities are most pronounced in areas with high levels of racial and ethnic segregation, where children and adolescents are also more likely to face economic inequality, which places them at high risk for exposure to neighborhood violence and traumatic loss. Community violence exposure (CVE) has been increasingly recognized as a prominent contributor to negative physical and mental health outcomes. CVE has been linked to children's risk for negative psychological outcomes, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, externalizing behavior, and internalizing symptoms, as well as obesity, asthma, and health-risk behaviors. Providers of pediatric care have opportunities to address CVE and related health disparities by developing trauma-informed systems that routinely screen for CVE, provide basic support for affected families, and link those in need to trauma-focused intervention. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(10):e377-e381.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.