Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that critical incident stress debriefing (CISD), as an intervention to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is effective because it is not only time-efficient but also provides a sense of community, wherein patients are able to share and cope with their experiences by better understanding what they went through vis-a-vis other people's experiences. The author points out that, in anticipation of these critical incidents or events, a CISD team is already created and includes health care professionals, trained to respond immediately to patients suffering from PTSD. The paper relates that, in addition to continuous monitoring of the patients' cases, the CISD team also must assume leadership of their team by creating "role assignments" for each patient-participant to maintain a sense of community and group belonging even after the session.

From the Paper:

"During the debriefing, professional assistance is conducted using a 7-phase technique: (1) introductory phase; (2) fact phase; (3) thought phase; (4) feeling phase; (5) assessment phase; (6) education phase; and (7) reentry phase. These phases are similar to other treatment techniques dealing with PTSD; however, these phases become crucial when applied in the CISD setting, since each phase must be dealt with with caution and sensitivity. The first phases establishes rapport among the members (participants) of the CISD group..."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Antai-Otong, D. (2002). "Overwhelming stressful events: proactive response key to coping." The American Nurse, Vol. 34, Issue 1.
• Caine, R. (2003). "Early identification and management of critical incident stress." Critical Care Nurse, Vol. 23, Issue 1.
• Macy, R. (2004). "Community-based, acute posttraumatic stress management: a description and evaluation of a psychosocial-intervention continuum." Harvard Review of Psychiatry, Vol. 12, Issue 4.
• O'Brien, G. (2001). "Interns' perceptions of performance and confidence in participating in and managing simulated and real cardiac arrest situations." Medical Teacher, Vol. 23, Issue 4.
• Richards, D. (2001). "A field study of critical incident stress debriefing versus critical incident stress management." Journal of Mental Health, Vol. 10, Issue 3.

More papers on Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD):

• Research Paper # 93839 : "Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorders"
• Term Paper # 142246 : "How I Got Here: Critical Incidents and Reflections"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: