NCJ Number
135984
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 19 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 22,24,26-27
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Critical incident stress is common among emergency service personnel and, if handled properly, can prevent the development of full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Abstract
One authority reports that 86 percent of all emergency service personnel experience some discomforting reactions following a critical incident, but only 4 to 10 percent will develop a severely debilitating PTSD. The standard diagnostic manual on mental disorders does not list critical incident stress, but trauma specialists consider it to be a normal response to an abnormal event with acute symptoms that will taper off or disappear within 4 to 6 weeks if promptly and properly addressed. Therefore, supervisors should learn to recognize critical incidents, take an interest in the well-being of personnel, have a mental health/employee support program in place, and use the measures recommended by the American Critical Incident Stress Foundation during a critical incident. Following the incident, command personnel should come to the scene; talk reassuringly with involved officers; and, within 24 to 72 hours of the incident, schedule a structured, confidential conversation facilitated by a mental health professional, often with peer support, for individuals and/or groups. Source of further information