Dessa Bergen-Cico (PH) PI, Rachel Razza (HDFS) co-I
Extramural Sponsored Project – Health Foundation of Western and Central NY, $20,000
Associate professor of public health, Dessa Bergen-Cico, PI and associate professor of human development and family science, Rachel Razza co-I, received a $20,000 grant from the Health Foundation of Western and Central NY for their project entitled Trauma Resiliency in Urban Environments (TRUE). This grant aims to implement and evaluate a trauma informed mindfulness-based program for pregnant women and mothers of young children affected by community violence and living in hot spots in the city of Syracuse. Syracuse is a community scarred by decades of pervasive gun violence, divided by gang-turf affiliation, and home to a substantial refugee population from war-torn regions. An estimated 90 percent of the children in the target community have been exposed to violence; majority have traumatic stress (PTSD) and/or other serious emotional and behavioral problems; 52 perecent of the adults in these hot spots meet criteria for PTSD.
Bergen-Cico and Razza’s research findings support the integration of mindfulness-based practices and programs as public health strategies to promote health across the lifespan.