Improving CISD to Reduce PTSD Amongst EMS Workers
The current system for reducing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) amongst Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel is ineffective and there is a lack of uniformity in the implementation of the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) in New York State.
Introduction
The U.S. Fire Administration identified that one barrier to recruitment and retention in emergency response personnel is the inadequate emotional support after a critical incident. A responder during a study by Patterson, Probst, Leith, Corwin, and Powell (2005) stated, “The job is really stressful…it’s so high with trauma and many can’t deal with the stress...” Jeffrey Mitchell (1983) introduced the Critical Incident Stress …show more content…
Carlier, Lambert, Van Uchelan, and Gersons’ (1998) performed an experiment on the effectiveness of CISD after a larger-scale traumatic incident involving a plane crash and 200 first responders, of whom 105 attended immediate debriefing through the CISD program. The other half of the first responders were still involved on scene and missed the debriefing and therefore did not partake in the program. Their results showed that eight months post-disaster, there was no difference in PTSD between groups, and 18 months post-disaster the debriefed officers exhibited significantly more hyperarousal symptoms related to the incident than the non-debriefed officers. This experiment indicates how these inconsistencies affect first responders dealing with traumatic events and that the practice is not always carried out uniformly for all personnel, or even per …show more content…
In these sessions, the therapist helps the patient to reframe their thinking and perception of events to view them in a more positive light. The basis of CBT revolves around positively altering unhelpful beliefs, feelings, and behaviors in response to a psychological disturbance to prevent PTSD and other mental disorder development (Herman & van der Kolk, 2009). Rothbaum, Meadows, Resick, and Foy (2000) found CBT to be the most effective form of therapy for treating patients with PTSD in a review of therapy options for PTSD.
Another type of therapy seen to reduce symptoms of PTSD in patients is expressive writing which is a form of expressive arts therapy. Consistent health improvements have been noted in individuals when they write about upsetting experiences over time. Nearly 30% of individuals who live through traumatic experiences develop PTSD (Pennebaker & Chung, 2011). Pennebaker and Chung (2011) recognized that when thoughts and feelings in regard to a traumatic experience are transferred into language, mental and physical health will generally
The current system for reducing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) amongst Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel is ineffective and there is a lack of uniformity in the implementation of the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) in New York State.
Introduction
The U.S. Fire Administration identified that one barrier to recruitment and retention in emergency response personnel is the inadequate emotional support after a critical incident. A responder during a study by Patterson, Probst, Leith, Corwin, and Powell (2005) stated, “The job is really stressful…it’s so high with trauma and many can’t deal with the stress...” Jeffrey Mitchell (1983) introduced the Critical Incident Stress …show more content…
Carlier, Lambert, Van Uchelan, and Gersons’ (1998) performed an experiment on the effectiveness of CISD after a larger-scale traumatic incident involving a plane crash and 200 first responders, of whom 105 attended immediate debriefing through the CISD program. The other half of the first responders were still involved on scene and missed the debriefing and therefore did not partake in the program. Their results showed that eight months post-disaster, there was no difference in PTSD between groups, and 18 months post-disaster the debriefed officers exhibited significantly more hyperarousal symptoms related to the incident than the non-debriefed officers. This experiment indicates how these inconsistencies affect first responders dealing with traumatic events and that the practice is not always carried out uniformly for all personnel, or even per …show more content…
In these sessions, the therapist helps the patient to reframe their thinking and perception of events to view them in a more positive light. The basis of CBT revolves around positively altering unhelpful beliefs, feelings, and behaviors in response to a psychological disturbance to prevent PTSD and other mental disorder development (Herman & van der Kolk, 2009). Rothbaum, Meadows, Resick, and Foy (2000) found CBT to be the most effective form of therapy for treating patients with PTSD in a review of therapy options for PTSD.
Another type of therapy seen to reduce symptoms of PTSD in patients is expressive writing which is a form of expressive arts therapy. Consistent health improvements have been noted in individuals when they write about upsetting experiences over time. Nearly 30% of individuals who live through traumatic experiences develop PTSD (Pennebaker & Chung, 2011). Pennebaker and Chung (2011) recognized that when thoughts and feelings in regard to a traumatic experience are transferred into language, mental and physical health will generally