Critical Incident Response
Fostering Fortitude offers a groundbreaking way to reduce symptoms of trauma, protect against burnout, and improve morale so that workers can keep doing the work they love safely and effectively!
You've recently undergone an incident in the workplace that has not only left employees shaken, but has also left you unsure of how best to help.
In this time of need, you find yourself desperately seeking professional services to guide you through the aftermath. Thats where Fostering Fortitude comes in to provide the immediate help you’re looking for.
Examples of possible critical incidents are:
Serious injury, death, or suicide of a fellow co-worker
Shootings (including both shooting or being shot at, whether anyone was hit or not)
Any other serious threat to the life of you or your co-worker
Any incident in which circumstances are unusual
Any incident in which sights and sounds are distressing
Any catastrophic event/major disasters
Rescuing a victim, where pain and suffering is obvious
Mass casualty event
Knowing the victim
Death, injury, or abuse of a child
Contact with communicative diseases, e.g. AIDS/Hepatitis B
Major traffic accident
Death of a close family member
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Toxic chemical fire/explosion
Extreme attempts where lives are lost
Hostage or barricaded situation
Physical or Sexual Assault
Victim of a violent crime
Robbery
Incidents that attract extremely unusual or possible derogatory news media coverage
Witness to a Violent Crime
Food Tampering
Gruesome Homicide
Animal Cruelty
Natural Disasters
Emergency Room Assaults
Consequences of Trauma
Physical health symptoms (constant fatigue, weight change, low energy, headache)
Sleep problems (daytime sleepiness, difficulty getting things done)
Anxiety (panic attacks, distractibility, inattention to detail, anger)
Depression (low mood, suicidal ideation, excessive alcohol use)
Emotional numbing and avoiding
Flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts and memory loss
Chronic pain and opiod dependence
Up to 20% of people experiencing subthreshold traumatic stress symptoms in the immediate aftermath of trauma will continue to experience significant symptoms three years later (Cukor et al., 2010)
The Cost of Trauma
PTSD and subclinical post traumatic stress sytmpoms can impact ability to provide quality patient care
Burnout and stress can double the risk of medical error (Balch et al., 2011)
Workplace stressors have also been linked with decreased productivity, increased staff absence and turnover, and reduced quality of patient care (Liu et al., 2019; Mento et al., 2020).
This Ripple Effect of Trauma
The ripple effect of critical incidents extends far beyond direct witnesses. The indirect impact on people, even if only exposed through media, contributes to their mental health concerns, has shown to out people at increased substance abuse, and financial stress.
Quantifying the ripple effect is challenging, but studies, like the one after the 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, show increased demand for crisis services related to grief.
While not always diagnosable as PTSD, the ripple effect induces intrusive thoughts and imagined possibilities, contributing to substantial mental distress. It’s important to focus on symptoms for those suffering.
Think about it this way, in any given incident there are first responders, their families, bystanders and their families, hospital staff and their families, teachers, coaches, co-workers those who say it on the news or watched the video on youtube, all impacted by one event,
To protect mental health amid critical incidents, building a supportive network, recognizing personal trauma activators, and seeking trauma-trained therapists are vital. Which is why I have teamed up with the Buckeye Trauma Response Network.
Survivors Guilt
Survivor’s guilt is when someone feels guilty for surviving a dangerous situation when others didn't. It's a common reaction to traumatic events and a symptom of PTSD. Survivor’s guilt can happen after a traumatic event or when someone loses their life. Survivors might question why they lived while others died and wonder if they could have prevented the event. It used to be its own diagnosis, but now it's seen as a significant symptom of PTSD. People who might experience survivor’s guilt include war veterans, first responders, Holocaust survivors, 9/11 survivors, cancer survivors, organ transplant recipients, crash survivors, natural disaster survivors, witnesses to traumatic events, family members of those with a fatal hereditary condition, and parents who outlive their child. Not everyone feels survivor’s guilt, but research shows that it's common after traumatic or life-threatening events.
After a workplace critical incident, supervisors might observe the following from their employees:
Feeling emotionally numb: They try to distance themselves from the incident and avoid feeling anything. They may act like they're in shock but claim to be in control and have no trouble handling the situation.
Feeling isolated: They believe that no one understands what they're going through and may become irritable and agitated. They may deny that anything is wrong.
Intrusive thoughts and flashbacks: They repeatedly relive the event in their mind. This can make them question if they have control over their thoughts, which can affect their outlook on life.
Sleep disturbances: They have trouble sleeping, often experiencing nightmares and waking up sweating. The nightmares usually involve fear or guilt, which is common in about 95% of traumatic incidents. This guilt can manifest as anger or depression.
Anxiety and fear: They're afraid to return to their normal job duties or routine. They worry about going back to how things were before the trauma.
Loss of interest and burnout: They no longer find interest in their work, and it becomes challenging for them to return to it. Activities that used to be mundane suddenly seem boring.
Reconsideration: They reevaluate their values, goals, and status. This step determines how well they can cope and what their future activities will look like. Some may even consider leaving their current careers or reevaluate their relationships.
It is important to remember that not everyone experiences all these reactions, and depending on other life experiences reactions may vary. However, these are generally the most common response to trauma.