Abstract
Providing support to schools following a critical incident has become
an established part of service delivery for many Educational Psychology
Services (EPSs) in the UK. This article offers reflections on the use of
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) in schools. A review of the
literature on critical incidents, trauma, resilience and bereavement
suggested that studies exploring the effectiveness of psychological
debriefing in general have produced mixed findings, which may be
accounted for by methodological flaws and inappropriate application
of the intervention. However it is also argued that the underpinning
theoretical assumptions of CISD are questionable and, as a result, that
Psychological First Aid, a non-intrusive evidence-informed approach,
may be more appropriate in this context.
an established part of service delivery for many Educational Psychology
Services (EPSs) in the UK. This article offers reflections on the use of
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) in schools. A review of the
literature on critical incidents, trauma, resilience and bereavement
suggested that studies exploring the effectiveness of psychological
debriefing in general have produced mixed findings, which may be
accounted for by methodological flaws and inappropriate application
of the intervention. However it is also argued that the underpinning
theoretical assumptions of CISD are questionable and, as a result, that
Psychological First Aid, a non-intrusive evidence-informed approach,
may be more appropriate in this context.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 85-99 |
Journal | Educational Psychology in Practice |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 30 Nov 2015 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2016 |
Keywords
- Critical incident
- trauma
- resilience
- bereavement
- Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
- Psychological First Aid