DEALING WITH THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AFTERMATH OF A TERRORIST ATTACK - Part 4

PROVIDING COUNSELLING FOR EVERYONE

On one extreme, people who focus too much on the 60 % figure (up to 60 % of people may develop PTSD-like symptoms after very severe trauma) believe that counselling or therapy should be provided to everyone who has gone through a severe traumatic event. However, there is a lot of research evidence clearly showing that providing 'psychological debriefing' (providing talking therapies after trauma) indiscriminately to everyone can prolong post-traumatic symptoms in a significant number of people. That is why routine psychological debriefing for everyone after ra traumatic event has been contraindicated for quite some time. 

It was a discussion we had to have a number of times particularly with volunteer counsellors and therapists who had arrived from many countries. we kept trying to explain that making someone talk about their traumatic experiences right after the trauma when they are not ready for it, can do more harm than good.