After the pandemic, the psychological sequelae in medical personnel can be persistent.
An example of this is found in healthcare professionals who develop post-traumatic stress due to having been working in a context in which there has been a lot of death and suffering, something common in healthcare emergencies. The case of the coronavirus pandemic fits perfectly with this idea: hospitals overwhelmed by people who can hardly be cared for, lack of resources, exhausting shifts, etc.
In this article we will see how post-traumatic stress is expressed in health personnel, and what can be done.
What is post-traumatic stress?
First of all, let’s look in a little more detail at what post-traumatic stress is. This is a mental disorder that is described in the diagnostic manuals in the section “Disorders related to trauma and stress factors “, and that, as its name indicates, is associated with trauma.
And what is trauma? It consists of a psychological phenomenon that arises when the person experiences situations of strong stress that are “marked” in their brain and that, consequently, alter the functioning of what is known as emotional memory. People with trauma problems suffer strong emotional swings because the emotional charge of those memories (and usually, part of their contents) “emerge” into consciousness in unexpected and intrusive ways.
Post-traumatic stress in health personnel
In health personnel, the problems associated with post-traumatic stress can arise mainly in two ways.
1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the “classic” form of post-traumatic stress, and in the case of doctors, nursing staff and other health professionals in general, it can arise in specific situations in which there is a high level of of stress: attacks by desperate relatives, unexpected deaths, etc.
The main symptoms of PTSD, which may take several weeks to appear, are the following, although they do not have to appear all: Flashbacks (reliving the situation that generated the trauma, as if it were happening in the present):
- sleeping problems
- anxiety problems
- Avoidance of places that could trigger flashbacks
- Dissociative symptoms such as depersonalization
- Irritability and propensity for hostility
2. Secondary traumatic stress
Although this psychopathological phenomenon is closely related to PTSD, it is not exactly the same. Secondary traumatic stress occurs above all in those who work with people with health problems , such as in NGOs assigned to places with great poverty, or hospitals in general. In this case, the trauma appears as a consequence of being constantly exposed to situations in which other people suffer a lot.
Regarding its symptoms, secondary traumatic stress is characterized by generating emotional fatigue, although there is also re-experiencing of the traumatic event and a state of greater activation or excitability, as in the case of PTSD.
Treatment
Post-traumatic stress is a psychological problem that must be treated by professionals, especially taking into account the negative consequences that it can have both for the person who suffers it in their own flesh, and for the people who have to be cared for by them in the context of work in hospitals, health centers, etc.
What do you do in such cases? In the first place, the specific person who presents the disorder is attended to and listened to, examining what aspects of their work context, their personality, their habits and their personal life come into play in the problem. Secondly, a psychological intervention plan adapted to that person is established, and for this reason it does not have to be the same in all patients.
However, although what the psychologist who attends to cases like this does varies according to the case, there are a series of generalities or guidelines that are customary to follow. In the first place, it is taken into account that the sooner the case of post-traumatic stress is treated, the better, since early intervention usually increases the chances of managing the disorder quickly and effectively. A space is offered in which the person can organize their ideas about what they think, they are given support when it comes to questioning dysfunctional beliefs that are harming them and that are linked to the trauma, and information is provided so that do not opt for methods of coping with the discomfort that would only make the problem worse.
In addition, in order to gradually weaken post-traumatic stress, interventions are carried out that allow the patient to get used to the contents of those painful memories; Techniques such as systematic desensitization are often used, designed so that people get used to facing what causes them discomfort, instead of trying to avoid it or block it out in their minds.
Looking for help?
If you are interested in having professional help through the work of psychologists in the face of post-traumatic stress or another type of mental disorder, please contact me.
I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral model , and I can assist you in person (in Madrid) or online if you prefer this modality.
Bibliographic references:
- American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
- Atwoli L., et. el. (April 2017). Posttraumatic stress disorder associated with unexpected death of a loved one: Cross-national findings from the world mental health surveys. Depression and Anxiety. 34 (4): pp. 315 – 326.
- Kapfhammer, H.P. (2008). Therapeutic possibilities after traumatic experiences. Psychiatria Danubina. 20 (4): pp. 532 – 545.
- Moreno-Jiménez, B.; Morante-Benadero, ME; Losada-Novoa, MM; Rodríguez-Carvajal, R.; Garrosa Hernández, E. (2004) Secondary Traumatic Stress. Evaluation, prevention and intervention. Psychological Therapy, 22(1), pp. 69 – 76.
- World Health Organization (1992). International Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Geneva, Switzerland.
- Shalev A, Liberzon I, Marmar C (June 2017). “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”. The New England Journal of Medicine. 376 (25): pp. 2459 – 2469.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.