Abstract
M.A. (Psychology)
Human suffering and death are an intrinsic part of the work of emergency
response personnel. Emergency workers are not immune to the stresses of
emergency situations, and it is therefore understandable that those dealing with
the critically ill or injured will experience feelings like anger, anxiety and
sadness.
Gibbs, Drummond and Lachenmeyer (1993) cite some characteristic responses
ofemergency workers in their reaction to the daily experience oftrauma. These
responses include increased anxiety, tension and feelings of distress, and
cognitive deficiencies. Physical symptoms and the abuse of alcohol are also
common.
Despite the considerable body of knowledge regarding stress in emergency
workers, most intervention strategies to alleviate the long-term consequences of
mental trauma on these workers have been prophylactic in terms of future
service. Little has been done to validate such efforts (Dunning, 1990). Within
the South African context research in this field is also scant, yet the
overwhelming evidence ofthe reactions cited in research (Hetherington, 1993a;
Gibbs et al, 1993; Mitchell, 1985, 1982, 1984b; Sparrius, 1992 and Mitchell
and Bray, 1990), both local and international, would indicate that such reactions
exist in South Africa and should therefore be extensively investigated.
It would therefore be necessary to implement an intervention programme for this
group and systematically evaluate it. However, the nature of PTSD on its own,
and how it relates to the emergency worker needs to be discussed...