Transcript ABSTRACT FOR 5TH KENYA PSYCHIATRIC CONFERENCE Dr. R.Songole

ABSTRACT FOR 5TH KENYA
PSYCHIATRIC CONFERENCE
VENUE: LA MADA HOTEL –
NAIROBI
CRITICAL INCIDENCE
DEBRIEFING:
A case study of Kitale
by R. Songole
INTRODUCTION
Critical incidence stress debriefing
(CISD) is a formalized structured
method whereby a group of trauma
victims are helped to review the
stressful experiences of a disaster.
CISD was designed to be delivered in a
group formal
COMPONENTS OF CISM
Critical Incidence Stress Management
 Pre-crisis intervention
Information briefing
Staff advisement
One on one crisis counseling
Support family
Crisis intervention organizational consultation
Follow up
Referral mechanisms for assessment and treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To prevent adverse health outcomes
To enhance the well being of individual
and their families
METHOD
Focus group discussion with 28 staff members
divided into 2groups.
Members were asked to respond to the
following questions.
 What happened?
 Where were you when it happened?
 How they got the news
 How they reacted
 How the incidence has affected them
 What was the hardest part of all this?
FINDINGS
 Impairment in ability to think concentrate and
remember.
 Developed distrust to colleagues and strangers.
 Anxiety of being alone or accompanying their spouses.
 Tension and poor productivity
 Fearfull public would associated them with the
murderer
 Avoided elements of traumatic reminders
 Uneasiness with customers
 There wasSignificant improvement after 2 weeks
 Four members still needed individualized attention
CONCLUSION
Trauma is everywhere, at individual level,
family, institutional and at social levels.
While psychological debriefing is nearly
always helpful, it involves clarifying events
and providing education about normal
responses and coping mechanisms. Care
must be taken before delivering more
emotionally focused interventions.
To avoid harm psychological debriefing must
be conducted by experienced and welltrained practitioners.
Continuation
It is not a guarantee that debriefing
prevents psychopathology but we do
believe that debriefing is often well
received and that it may help to:
facilitate the screening of those at risk,
disseminate education and referral
information and improve organizational
staff morale.
There is need to carry out research on
evidence whether debriefing prevents
psychopathology.