Penn Nursing professors co-author editorial on the impact of trauma, stress, and violence on health
PHILADELPHIA (August 6, 2026) –Carmen Alvarez, PhD, CRNP, CNM, FAAN, and Sara F. Jacoby, PhD, MPH, MSN, FAAN, from Penn Nursing’s Department of Family and Community Health, have co-authored a guest editorial in Research in Nursing & Health, examining how chronic stress, trauma, and violence shape physical health and well-being across the lifespan. The editorial highlights a special issue of 16 empirical papers, guest edited by Alvarez, Jacoby, and their editorial co-authors.
Citing World Health Organization data showing that nearly 70% of individuals globally experience at least one potentially traumatic event, the authors highlight how societal shifts—including climate change, inequality, and economic instability—amplify exposure to stress. They emphasize that access to healing resources remains unequally distributed due to structural conditions. The editorial synthesizes research on childhood adversity, protective factors, and the biological embedding of trauma over time. It also examines health equity, noting the disproportionate burden of adversity and discrimination faced by Black populations, including Black transgender women and pregnant individuals.
To address these disparities, the authors call for system-wide transformations, policy updates, and new reimbursement models that support relational, trauma-informed care and protect clinician well-being. They urge health disciplines to embed life-course and structurally focused frameworks across research, practice, education, and policy to eliminate health disparities and promote community healing.
“Exposure to adversity and the resources needed to heal remain deeply unequal in our society," said Alvarez and Jacoby. “Expanding access to relational, trauma-informed care and developing sustainable support systems represent promising approaches to address the enduring effects of chronic stress and trauma among vulnerable populations.”
Co-authors of the editorial include Jada L. Brooks, PhD, MSPH, RN, FAAN (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and Elizabeth G. NeSmith, PhD, RN, FAAN (Augusta University). As the journal’s Editor in Chief since 2018, Eileen Lake, PhD, RN, FAAN, from Penn Nursing’s Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences and the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, recruited these guest editors and produced the special issue.
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The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice, and is ranked the #1 nursing school in the world by QS World University (2026), a distinction it has held nine prior times. Penn Nursing also consistently earns top national rankings from U.S. News & World Report for its BSN and graduate programs and is the top National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded nursing research institution in the United States. By integrating innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-based practice, Penn Nursing prepares nurse scientists, clinicians, and leaders to meet the complex health needs of a global society. Follow Penn Nursing: Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram.
Journal
Research in Nursing & Health
Article Title
The Impact of Stress, Trauma, and Violence on Well-Being and Physical Health
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