BMJ 2000;321:1032-1033 ( 28 October )

Editorials

The current status of psychological debriefing

It may do more harm than good

Papers p 1043

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Despite the widespread use of psychological debriefing, serious concerns have been raised about its effectiveness and potential to do harm. ^{1 2} Psychological debriefing is broadly defined as a set of procedures including counselling and the giving of information aimed at preventing psychological morbidity and aiding recovery after a traumatic event. In 1995 Raphael and colleagues emphasised that there was an urgent need for reliable evidence from randomised controlled trials on the impact and worth of debriefing.³ Unfortunately, the news has not been good for debriefing.

Debriefing is generally applied within the first few days after a traumatic event, lasts one to three hours, and usually includes procedures that encourage and normalise emotional expression. Debriefing can also be more narrowly defined in terms of the procedures used, the information provided and the target population. One example of this type of debriefing is known as critical incident stress debriefing.⁴

A recent Cochrane review of . . . [Full text of this article]

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Debriefing over a life-time

Chris Manning
bmj.com, 30 Oct 2000 [Full text]

THe debriefing debate: a serious case of confused terminology.

Elizabeth Capewell
bmj.com, 2 Nov 2000 [Full text]

The current status of psychological debriefing

Deborah May Lovell
bmj.com, 8 Nov 2000 [Full text]