Training Module on the Right to Mental Health for the Security Sector
terroristic threat need proper psychological training and preparation to deal
with these crises.
Certain psychological traits and behaviors seem to characterize those hostages
who survive their ordeal versus those that do not, or those who may survive
physically but who succumb to overwhelming psychological trauma.
Survivors of hostage crises typically are able to retain faith in a positive outcome.
They are able to maintain a superior attitude and somehow psychologically
rise above the situation, while at the same time containing any hostility they
may feel toward their captors.
They use fantasy to imagine a future where they will be free and also are able
to rationalize the situation in terms of odds of a successful outcome. During the
ongoing hostage crisis, they control their outward appearance and behavior
and keep to routines. They make an effort not to stand out and they try to
blend with their comrades. If possible, they try to use flexible thinking and
humor as coping devices.
“Succumbers” typically show an opposite pattern: They are overwhelmed
with feelings of abandonment, self-pity, and despair. They dwell on the worst
aspects and outcomes of the situation.
If angry, they make it known, thereby drawing negative attention to themselves.
They suspend normal activities and manage to stand out in any of a variety
of counterproductive ways, for example, behaving obsessively, acting out of
control, or being either excessively resistant or compliant.
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing or CISD (Mitchell & Everly, 1996) is a structured
group intervention that was originally developed for law enforcement and
emergency services personnel but that has been adapted for use in a wide
variety of settings, including workplaces, disaster management, health care
settings, and the military.
The CISD process is designed to promote the emotional processing of
traumatic events through the ventilation and normalization of reactions, as
well as preparation for possible future crises.
A CISD debriefing typically is a peer-led, clinician-guided process, although the
individual roles of clinicians and peers may vary from setting to setting.
The staffing of a debriefing usually consists of a mental health clinician and
one or more peer debriefers, that is, fellow workers who have been trained
in the CISD process and who may have been through critical incidents and
debriefings in their own careers.
A typical debriefing takes place within 24 to 72 hours after the critical incident
and consists of a single group meeting that lasts 2 to 3 hours, although shorter
or longer meetings may be dictated by circumstances.
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