Psychologists question “debriefing” for traumatised employees

UK employers are using a type of counselling known as debriefing for employees who have experienced psychological trauma, despite evidence that the technique is ineffective or even harmful, according to research presented at the British Psychological Society's annual occupational psychology conference last week.

The Institute for Employment Studies, an independent employment research organisation, assessed the debriefing interventions offered to employees of 18 different UK organisations. These included emergency medical services, hospital trusts, and industrial and …