A UK veterans’ independent mental health charity has written of the psychological impact of 9/11 over a decade later on those at Ground Zero – and has made a warning to those who manage the UK’s emergency and civil defence services, as well as managers of civilian staff. The charity is PTSD Resolution, featured in the September 2011 print issue of Professional Security magazine.
At least 10,000 fire-fighters, police officers and civilians exposed to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in the USA have been found to have PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), according to figures compiled by New York City’s three 9-11 health programmes.<br><br>PTSD Resolution says few if any directors and line mangers involved in emergency services and contingency planning, in the USA and UK, are trained to recognise and deal with the symptoms of trauma among staff. The condition can cause severe depression and behavioural problems for employees, often over the course of several decades. Left untreated, the result may be extended sick-leave and dismissal – and potentially major legal liability for employers. It should be a matter of good corporate governance to ensure conditions can be recognised and resolved.<br><br>PTSD Resolution is the UK’s first national trauma treatment agency to provide training in trauma awareness for employers in the public and private sectors, the charity says. One-day seminars help managers to identify and assist staff suffering from trauma. The programme is based on the therapeutic techniques used by Resolution’s network of 200 therapists, which is successful in 83 per cent of cases, according to a three-year pilot with armed forces’ veterans.<br><br>The reported trauma symptoms of those at Ground Zero in New York for 9-11 are typical of people witnessing events that involve actual or potential death or injury. In many cases there are initial symptoms that subside over a few days or weeks. It is advisable to let this happen by itself, the charity says – critical incident debriefing’, where everyone involved in an incident is given counselling, is now thought to cause more problems than it solves. However, if the symptoms have not subsided after a month, or have got worse, it is time to do something about it. Equally, the effects can be delayed for years, and maybe triggered by some new experience.<br><br>PTSD Resolution advises that mangers should develop a company culture that is responsible not ‘macho’, and that there is a clear path to help and treatment:<br><br>"If you manage people who may experience trauma, keep an eye on their behaviour. If someone is involved in an incident and seems to have changed, it may be a sign that they will need help. Let them know that you are aware of what they have been through, that the organisation’s policy is to be open about stress reactions and to get help if necessary so that everyone can continue to work well. If the employee does not seem to be returning to their normal attitudes, demeanour and behaviour after a few weeks, open a dialogue about how they would like to be helped to recover."<br><br>For further information –
