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Letters

Coping with the aftermath of trauma: NICE guidelines on post-traumatic stress disorder have fundamental flaw

BMJ 2005; 331 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7507.50-a (Published 30 June 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;331:50
  1. Derek A Summerfield (derek.summerfield@slam.nhs.uk), honorary senior lecturer
  1. Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital, London SE5 8AP

    EDITOR—Gersons and Olff discuss coping with the aftermath of trauma.1 The guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that they mention conclude that early psychological intervention or debriefing does not prevent post-traumatic stress disorder, and might even be harmful.2 A significant reason for this is that a professional intervention can unwittingly embed a preoccupation with a traumatic event …

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