Trauma: The initial impact and consequences for rescue personnel

Abstract

Reactions can and do occur among personnel after involvement in large scale road accidents and disasters in general. This paper presents a personal account of reactions that occurred after one particular accident, places it within the context of a cohort of emergency workers, and refers to current research findings. The prevalence of intrusive phenomena within the first week, particularly visual memories, is documented, as is the impact to lifestyle which they cause. Assessments at one month illustrate that psychological reactions, for the majority of workers involved, persist at least in the short-term.* These reactions continue in spite of the provision of psychological follow-up, which questions the efficacy of the provision of these strategies to personnel after a trauma.