Intervention Controversies

• Intervention Controversies


  • Less effective
  • Shown to be harmful
  • Inconsistent with held beliefs and psychological science
• Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)


  Administered intervention immediately after traumatic events to prevent development of PTSD
• CISD Procedures


  1. Disclosure of thoughts as feelings

  2. Specification of possible symptoms

  3. Education about consequences of trauma
• CISD doesn't prevent PTSD
• CISD can re-traumatize victims
• Psychological First Aid


  Goals: Help in immediate aftermath of disaster, Reduce initial distress caused by traumatic events

  Objectives: Establish human connections, Calm and orient distraught survivors, Help survivors tell their immediate needs
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing


  Designed to treat anxiety

  Treatment Components: Education, Desensitization, Reprocessing
• Controlled Drinking Approach to Alcoholism


  Aims: Establish control in drinking, Avoid legal, social, physical problems

  Client Characteristics: Lower severity of dependence, Being employed, Younger age, Being female, Psychological and social stability
• Project DARE


  Used by 50% of school districts

  Focuses: Negative aspects of substance avoid, Emphasize positive aspects of healthy lifestyle
• DARE is ineffective and harmful
• DARE results in increased substance abuse
• Recovered Memory Therapy


  Psychological distress attributed to repression of childhood trauma

  Uses: Hypnosis, Guided imagery, Suggestion, Interpretation
• Things to Avoid


  Do not assume

  Do not pathologize
• RMT Concerns


  Extent to which approach is harmful and inconsistent