International journal of emergency mental health
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Int J Emerg Ment Health · Jan 2001
Coordinating a multiple casualty Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) response within a medical/surgical hospital setting.
The medical/surgical hospital environment presents numerous challenges to a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team Coordinator responsible for implementing a psychological crisis intervention. Often this person is responsible for managing a response to a large in-house multiple-casualty incident, sometimes involving fatalities. Many mental health professionals have not had the opportunity to work in a medical/surgical healthcare facility and consequently are not familiar with the environment (and agency culture) that exists within these employment settings. This article will review important factors to be considered during the initial assessment of a critical incident in a hospital setting, logistical concerns that are unique to this setting, and the subsequent planning of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team crisis management response.
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Int J Emerg Ment Health · Jan 2001
Adolescent suicide and suicide contagion in three secondary schools.
This study investigated crisis intervention in three secondary schools after the suicides of five students, focusing on the relation between crisis intervention and suicide contagion. The contagion hypothesis was supported. ⋯ No new suicides took place at schools where adequate first talk-throughs and psychological debriefing were conducted by a mental health professional. Proper crisis intervention is recommended to prevent suicide contagion in schools.
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Int J Emerg Ment Health · Jan 2000
Practice Guideline GuidelineBereavement practice guidelines for health care professionals in the emergency department.
A panel of multidisciplinary experts in the field of emergency services was convened by the National Association of Social Workers in 1999 to develop Bereavement Practice Guidelines. Funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, this paper discusses the best practices in supporting the family and staff when a child dies suddenly in the Emergency Department. Critical stages ranging from preparation to follow-up are discussed that help to enhance the quality of care provided to the family. A final stage addresses the support needs of staff.
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Int J Emerg Ment Health · Jan 1999
Comparative StudyPrevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder among Kuwaiti firefighters.
It has been proven time and again that emergency service personnel experience much more stress than non-emergency workers. This has been a negative factor which affects their social, psychological, and emotional life. ⋯ A random sample of 108 Kuwaiti firefighters yielded a psychometric prevalence of PTSD of 18.5%. These findings are consistent with data from the United States and from Canada.