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Critical incident stress debriefing and the effect of timing of intervention on first responders: A preliminary study
Abstract
This study evaluated the impact of timing of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) on symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and supplementary outcome measures of posttrauma adaptation: psychological distress and alcohol consumption. Hypotheses were that delayed debriefings were superior to immediate debriefings in reducing symptoms across these measures. The sample was a mixed professional group of first responders exposed to a critical incident who (N = 89) completed self-report measures both immediately before debriefing and approximately 3 months later. Results did not support the hypothesized impact of timing. Participants endorsed little difficulty on outcome measures. The study suggests general resiliency and that timing of intervention is not a central issue for most first responders. Issues regarding risk/resilience, strict timing guidelines, and alternative strategies fostering recovery are explored as well as implications for future research.
Subject Area
Clinical psychology
Recommended Citation
Chang, Robin R, "Critical incident stress debriefing and the effect of timing of intervention on first responders: A preliminary study" (2008). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3342066.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3342066