Nous écrire :
Nous écrire :
BackgroundNeuropsychology of trauma informs us that people whodevelop PTSD process the event in a fragmented manner, inmostly limbic and less frontal regions, which explains thethought intrusions, avoidance and excessive arousal. Wedeveloped the memory structuring intervention (MSI) thataims to shift the trauma processing to a more frontal, verbaland cognitive manner, later supplemented by vagal nervebreathing (VB).MethodsWe present findings from 4 randomized-controlled trails. Instudy (ST) 1, we randomized 17 Israelis after traffic accidentsto the MSI or supportive listening (control). In ST2, werandomly assigned 34 Israelis after traffic accidents to the MSIor supportive listening. In both ST1 and 2, PTSD symptomswere blindly assessed 3 months later. In ST3, we added VB tothe MSI and examined anxiety, heart-rate (HR) and pain in anemergency room in Israel. Finally, in ST4, we included 25Belgians at risk for PTSD and also assessed the perceivedtraumatic experience (PTE) and verbal fluency, a marker offrontal activation, in the emergency room
See Far CBT Therapy for Children with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder under Prolonged Political Conflict Mooli Lahad, Dmitry Leykin , Moshe Farchi, Miki Doron, Yori Gidron , Ornit Rozenblat and Zvi Fajerman. Abstract: Objective: There has thus far been insufficient discussion of the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in schoolchildren experiencing ongoing missile attacks or prolonged political conflict. The aims of the present study were to investigate the ability of SEE FAR CBT Therapy for Children (SEE FAR CBT-C), an individual intervention. protocol for children, in reducing PTSD symptoms and increase resiliency and general self-efficacy during ongoing crises. Method: Children (n = 25, ages 8-13) with significant clinical PTSD receiving individual SEE FAR CBT treatment, were compared to age-matched controls (n = 20) who participated in school-based intervention. Results: Compared to the school-based intervention, SEE FAR CBT was significantly more effective at reducing PTSD severity post-treatment as well as at the follow-up assessment (ηp2 = 0.15), including lowering intrusion, avoidance and arousal symptoms, and somatic complaints. In addition, SEE FAR CBT enhance ego-resiliency over time, while general self-efficacy significantly increased among both groups. Conclusions: Under repeated exposure to political conflict, both group and individual intervention may be helpful in alleviating posttraumatic symptoms and somatic complaints among school children, however, SEE FAR CBT-C produces a stronger therapeutic effect on PTSD and ego-resiliency phenomena. Findings are discussed in light of existing literature. Practical implications for therapists working with children and adolescents under prolonged security threat conditions are presented. Keywords: PTSD, children, SEE FAR CBT, psychotherapy, ego resiliency, political conflict, SEE FAR CBT-C for Children with PTSD under prolonged political conflict.
Objective: The SIX Cs model, a neuropsychological framework for psychological first aid, addresses acute stress responses that may lead to functional failure and heighten the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder. Unlike emotional interventions, this model prioritizes Cognitive Communication to diminish emotional overwhelm and bolster cognitive functioning. It introduces a Challenge for active engagement, Control for cognitive management of situations, Commitment from the helper to reduce loneliness, and Continuity to ensure narrative coherence. This study evaluates the SIX Cs model’s effectiveness in an experimental setup to alleviate acute stress reaction symptoms.
Method: Sixty-three participants voluntarily participated. They were randomly assigned to the SIX Cs intervention (experimental) or to supportive emotional expression (control). They listened to a 3-min audio recording of a real emergency 911 phone call. Interventions were provided before and after listening to the recording. Before, immediately after, and 5 min later (recovery), participants’ anxiety, heart rate variability, and mental resilience levels were measured.
Results: For all three outcomes, the Time × Group interactions were statistically significant. Follow-up analyses revealed that the SIX Cs participants showed lower anxiety and less reductions in heart rate variability and resilience than controls immediately after the stressor. Furthermore, the SIX Cs participants recovered faster on all three outcomes compared to controls.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate the superior effect of the psychological first aid based SIX C’s protocol over control in all outcomes, immediately after a simulated stressor and 7 min later as well as possible contribution for posttraumatic stress disorder risk reduction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
Under conditions of profound stress, individuals in high-risk occupations may experience an acute stress reaction (ASR). Given that ASRs may interfere with functioning, placing the team in danger, the Israel Defense Forces developed YaHaLOM training to teach service members how to manage ASRs in team members. YaHaLOM is a novel, rapid, peer-based intervention specifically designed for use in the midst of a high-stress event. In all, 904 Israeli combat soldiers participated in the study; 76% reported having received YaHaLOM, and 24% reported that they had not. In addition to measures of knowledge about managing ASRs, confidence in managing ASRs, and stigma-related attitudes toward ASRs, questions also addressed training approach, including the use of a video and instructor type. Participants who reported receiving YaHaLOM also reported more knowledge about managing an ASR, more confidence in managing an ASR, less external stigma, and more normative views of ASRs. Being trained with a video was associated with more confidence and less self-stigma than being trained without a video. Instructor type was not associated with differences in knowledge, confidence, or stigma-related attitudes. The study is limited by cross-sectional self-report data. Nevertheless, results suggest YaHaLOM may prepare soldiers to manage ASRs in team members; future studies are needed to assess intervention efficacy and to expand this research to other high-risk occupational contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Individuals who witness team members exhibiting symptoms of an acute stress reaction (ASR) in the middle of a high-stress operational event may be negatively affected; ASR-related training may moderate this impact. In the present study, 560 Israeli soldiers were surveyed about ASR exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, public stigma, and whether they had received ASR-related training. This training, called YaHaLOM, is a Hebrew acronym that outlines steps for managing ASR in team members. Controlling for combat exposure, greater exposure to ASR symptoms was associated with more overall PTSD symptoms, PTSD cluster symptoms, and public stigma. YaHaLOM training buffered these relationships for PTSD, intrusion and avoidance symptoms, and public stigma. The findings suggest that such training may help teams in high-risk occupations better manage ASR exposure.
Purpose: This study sought to explore the lived experience of trained social work students as first responders in a shared war reality. Method: Data were gathered from three focus groups conducted with social work students following their professional intervention during a period of protracted warfare. Results: The main theme depicts a movement from an experience of uncertainty to certainty, as the students shifted from being subjects under threat to being object-helpers on duty. Discussion: The findings highlight the interactive nature of individual and environmental aspects of resilience as a dynamic process in the face of adversity. Practical implications are discussed in the context of first responders’ resilience in a shared war reality. Conclusion: First responders must experience certainty in order to function effectively. To provide more support to novice helpers, a first responders training program should be implemented as part of the mandatory curriculum of social work studies.
Objectives: The covid-19 pandemic calls for adherence to multiple health behaviours. While authorities mostly use health information to deal with these issues, such an approach may be insufficient. This study examined the effects of a cognitive method, namely psychological inoculation (PI) + health information (experimental) versus health information alone (control) on anxiety, resilience and adherence.
Design: A randomized controlled trial was used. Participants were assigned to the experimental or control conditions, all provided on an automatized computerized system.
Main outcome measures: These included anxiety, adherence to the Covid-19 Israeli health ministry’s recommendations, and mental resilience. Participants were assessed before, immediately after and a week after the interventions.
Results: Controls increased only in adherence at 1 week compared to baseline. In contrast, those in the PI increased in resilience and adherence and reported lower anxiety immediately after treatment compared to baseline levels. In the PI condition, degree of refuting challenging sentences correlated with less anxiety.
Conclusions: Results showed better immediate improvements in anxiety, resilience and intention to adhere in the experimental condition compare to the controls. Authorities may wish to add PI to help the public deal with the effects of such a pandemic and to increase adherence to health recommendations.
Background: Patients with COVID-19 present with a variety of clinical manifestations, ranging from mild or asymptomatic disease to severe illness and death. Whilst previous studies have clarified these and several other aspects of COVID-19, one of the ongoing challenges regarding COVID-19 is to determine which patients are at risk of adverse outcomes of COVID-19 infection. It is hypothesized that this is the result of insufficient inhibition of the immune response, with the vagus nerve being an important neuro-immuno-modulator of inflammation. Vagus nerve activity can be non-invasively indexed by heart-rate-variability (HRV). Therefore, we aimed to assess the prognostic value of HRV, as a surrogate marker for vagus nerve activity, in predicting mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) referral, in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study including all consecutive patients (n = 271) diagnosed and hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 2020 and May 2020, without a history of cardiac arrhythmias (including atrial and ventricular premature contractions), pacemaker, or current bradycardia (heart rate <50 bpm) or tachycardia (heart rate >110 bpm). HRV was based on one 10s ECG recorded at admission. 3-week survival and ICU referral were examined.
Results: HRV indexed as standard deviation of normal to normal heartbeat intervals (SDNN) predicted survival (H.R. = 0.53 95%CI: 0.31-0.92). This protective role was observed only in patients aged 70 years and older, not in younger patients. HRV below median value also predicted ICU referral within the first week of hospitalization (H.R = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.29-0.90, P = 0.021).
Conclusion: Higher HRV predicts greater chances of survival, especially in patients aged 70 years and older with COVID-19, independent of major prognostic factors. Low HRV predicts ICU indication and admission in the first week after hospitalization.
Social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are at risk due to exposure to varied populations in need, which may impact their resilience, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction. The study assessed resilience at work, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction among social workers in Israel during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (May to June 2020). A convenience sample of 332 social workers (291 women (87.6%)) filled out an online, structured questionnaire that included demographics, a professional quality of life scale (ProQOL) (including three subscales), and resilience at work (RAW) (including seven subscales). The overall mean of the RAW was medium (M = 71, SD ± 8.9) compared to standardized scores. The mean scores of two of the subscales of the RAW, maintaining perspective and staying healthy, were low. The mean scores of the sub-scales of ProQOL were: compassion satisfaction was close to the 50th percentile (M = 48.25); burnout (M = 30.18) and secondary trauma (M = 26.27) were below the 25th percentile. Significant low to medium positive associations were found between all the dependent variables, except for staying healthy. A negative association was identified between compassion satisfaction and burnout, as well as between compassion satisfaction and secondary trauma. High levels of compassion satisfaction and contentment, low levels of secondary trauma, and having a managerial position were predicted to be 40% of the RAW. Lower levels of maintaining perspective, secondary trauma, and being younger predicted 27% of burnout. Higher levels of finding your calling, living authentically, maintaining perspective, interacting cooperatively, being older, and not being a manager predicted 58% of compassion satisfaction. Lower levels of burnout, maintaining perspective, and being younger predicted 36% of secondary trauma. As the COVID-19 pandemic still challenges most societies, policymakers should consider ways to integrate mechanisms that will enhance social workers’ resilience at work.
Summary
Social workers have had a pivotal role in handling the challenges faced by people dealing with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Supporting clients who have undergone traumatic experiences during a global pandemic may increase the risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress. This study examined two protective factors that may be key in the association between stress and social workers’ secondary traumatic stress: Psychological capital (internal protective factor) and satisfaction with supervision (external factor). The study sample included 104 Israeli social workers who worked in their profession during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A regression-based path analysis was conducted to test the moderation model with the PROCESS software.
Findings
Self-efficacy significantly moderated the association between perceived stress and intrusion; increasing self-efficacy decreases perceived stress’s effect on intrusion. Although no significant moderating effect was found for the existence of supervision, the interaction between perceived stress and satisfaction with supervision was significant in predicting secondary trauma.
Applications
Social workers’ unions must work to improve the quality of supervision and raise awareness of the importance of supervision in general and particularly during times of crisis. Manageable workloads, a reasonable balance between work and home, and verbal and financial encouragement to seek professional psychological assistance would all be to the advantage of social workers at risk for secondary trauma.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted worldwide policies ranging from social distancing to total lockdown. This study aims to assess mental distress and resilience as stress mediators during these two periods. The cross-sectional research followed 636 adults in March–April 2020, from social-distancing restrictions through the transition to general lockdown. Participants completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Adult Resilience Measure (ARM-R). Higher DASS scores were associated with female gender, younger age, being single and childless, no graduate degree, being employed during the pandemic and lower socioeconomic status. After controlling for age, DASS scores were significantly higher during total lockdown vs. social distancing. Full mediation of the ARM-R measure was revealed in the association between DASS score and restriction stage (social distancing vs. lockdown). Tightening restrictive policies is associated with higher distress in the general population, with specific groups at risk. Intervention programs are necessary to increase resilience from an eco-contextual perspective.
Objective: The SIX Cs model, a neuropsychological framework for psychological first aid, addresses acute stress responses that may lead to functional failure and heighten the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder. Unlike emotional interventions, this model prioritizes Cognitive Communication to diminish emotional overwhelm and bolster cognitive functioning. It introduces a Challenge for active engagement, Control for cognitive management of situations, Commitment from the helper to reduce loneliness, and Continuity to ensure narrative coherence. This study evaluates the SIX Cs model’s effectiveness in an experimental setup to alleviate acute stress reaction symptoms. Method: Sixty-three participants voluntarily participated. They were randomly assigned to the SIX Cs intervention (experimental) or to supportive emotional expression (control). They listened to a 3-min audio recording of a real emergency 911 phone call. Interventions were provided before and after listening to the recording. Before, immediately after, and 5 min later (recovery), participants’ anxiety, heart rate variability, and mental resilience levels were measured. Results: For all three outcomes, the Time × Group interactions were statistically significant. Follow-up analyses revealed that the SIX Cs participants showed lower anxiety and less reductions in heart rate variability and resilience than controls immediately after the stressor. Furthermore, the SIX Cs participants recovered faster on all three outcomes compared to controls. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the superior effect of the psychological first aid based SIX C’s protocol over control in all outcomes, immediately after a simulated stressor and 7 min later as well as possible contribution for posttraumatic stress disorder risk reduction.
The necessity for Psychological First Aid (PFA) arises from the need to address acute stress reactions (ASRs) that individuals experience following potentially traumatic events (PTE). ASRs, characterized by anxiety, confusion, and helplessness, can severely impair a person’s ability to function. Without timely intervention, ASR can escalate, leading to long-term psychological problems like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (1). Effective PFA aims to stabilize individuals immediately, reducing the risk of developing chronic mental health problems and aiding in the rapid return to normalcy.
Cumulative exposure to stressful and traumatic incidents can lead to mental deterioration, often resulting in overwhelming feelings of fear, threat, and helplessness. Previous studies revealed that cognitive flexibility plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between trauma exposure and such aversive emotional outcomes. The aim of the current study was twofold: first, to examine the potential impact of participation in a psychological first-aid cognitive-focused training on cognitive flexibility, as well as on feelings of fear, threat, and helplessness. Second, to test whether cognitive flexibility serves as a mechanism of change. Specifically, to determine whether it moderates the relationship between cumulative trauma exposure and feelings of fear, threat, and helplessness following (but not before) the training.
Methods
One-hundred seventy-two educational counselors, whose professional routine includes constant exposure to trauma and stress, were assessed before and after a 10-week psychological first-aid training, which equipped them to respond effectively and support others during traumatic incidents.
Results
The results revealed increased cognitive flexibility and reduced feelings of fear and helplessness following the training. Moreover, before the training, trauma exposure was positively associated with feelings of fear, threat, and helplessness, with no specific role for cognitive flexibility. Following the training, cognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between traumatic exposure and feelings of threat, acting as a protective factor that mitigates this effect.
Conclusions
The results highlight the importance of psychological first-aid training in reducing aversive feelings, improving cognitive flexibility, and prompting it as a protective factor against the deleterious effects of cumulative trauma exposure.
Background : Receiving a child’s cancer diagnosis is a highly traumatic experience for parents, often leading to significant psychological distress, including symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The way healthcare professionals deliver this news can affect the severity of parents’ reactions. While some research examines communication style’s impact on patients, few studies focus on its effects on parents.
Aims : This study explores the relationship between the communication style used by oncologists when delivering a child’s cancer diagnosis and the subsequent levels of PTSD symptoms, mental resilience, and self-efficacy in parents.
Methods : One hundred twenty eight parents of children diagnosed with cancer participated. Data were collected using the Styles of Communicating Questionnaire (SCQ), PTSD Checklist for DSM-V (PCL-5), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISK), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions were performed to examine the relationship between communication style and psychological outcomes.
Results : Parents who perceived the oncologist’s communication style as more activating (clear, structured, and action-oriented) reported significantly lower levels of PTSD symptoms and higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy. The perception of empathy played a crucial role, particularly when physicians balanced emotional and cognitive empathy. This balance was linked to better psychological outcomes in parents.
Conclusion : The study highlights the critical role of communication style in mitigating the psychological impact of a child’s cancer diagnosis on parents. Training healthcare providers to balance cognitive and emotional empathy in communication may reduce PTSD symptoms and enhance resilience and self-efficacy in parents, ultimately improving their psychological well-being during such a challenging time.
The theoretical understanding of psychological resilience has evolved significantly over recent decades, leading to diverse conceptual frameworks that emphasize different aspects of resilient adaptation. Some frameworks focus on resilience as a personal trait, others view it as a dynamic process, while still others emphasize the role of environmental and systemic factors. This theoretical paper introduces the ART framework (Acknowledgment, Reframe, and Tailoring), which provides an integrative perspective that bridges these seemingly disparate approaches. The ART framework offers a comprehensive understanding of how various resilience mechanisms work together in real-world contexts by focusing on the dynamic interplay between resource identification, reframing threats as challenges, and adaptive tailoring between resources and challenges. The ART framework incorporates and extends existing theoretical perspectives while providing a practical structure for understanding resilience development and intervention.
BACKGROUND: Earthquakes and other catastrophic events can lead to conditions of being trapped under the rubble, which can cause minor-major health consequences. One of the most challenging issues in entrapment is the need to rescue people as fast as possible. A related issue for rescue forces is how long to continue searching survivors. Indeed, sometimes victims survive longer than expected. The cases described below led us to postulate that certain adverse psychological effects of being trapped under the rubble may be beneficial for survival in such extreme situations.
CASE REPORT: In this article, we report two cases of children who were rescued from under the rubble following the earthquake in Turkey in February 2023. The children were rescued approximately one week after the earthquake, exhibiting symptoms that could be understood as dissociation. We bring converging neuropsychological and neurophysiological scientific evidence which enables us to propose that dissociation-related imagination together with excessive sleep may have increased vagal nerve activity. Vagal activity in turn may have helped to reduce risk of infections and inflammation, and possibly increased the chance of survival.
CONCLUSIONS: Though impossible to measure and prove in such extreme contexts, we propose a plausible psychobiological mechanism for those children’s symptoms and relatively long survival under entrapment. While only a speculation, dissociation might have been protective in such conditions. We discuss the limitations of these reports and the speculative mechanisms, and provide further implications for policy.
Background: Receiving a child’s cancer diagnosis is a highly traumatic experience for parents, often leading to significant psychological distress, including symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The way healthcare professionals deliver this news can affect the severity of parents’ reactions. While some research examines communication style’s impact on patients, few studies focus on its effects on parents.
Aims: This study explores the relationship between the communication style used by oncologists when delivering a child’s cancer diagnosis and the subsequent levels of PTSD symptoms, mental resilience, and self-efficacy in parents.
Methods: One hundred twenty eight parents of children diagnosed with cancer participated. Data were collected using the Styles of Communicating Questionnaire (SCQ), PTSD Checklist for DSM-V (PCL-5), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISK), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions were performed to examine the relationship between communication style and psychological outcomes.
The SIX Cs model, a neuropsychological framework for psychological first aid, addresses acute stress responses that may lead to functional failure and heighten the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder. Unlike emotional interventions, this model prioritizes Cognitive Communication to diminish emotional overwhelm and bolster cognitive functioning. It introduces a Challenge for active engagement, Control for cognitive management of situations, Commitment from the helper to reduce loneliness, and Continuity to ensure narrative coherence. This study evaluates the SIX Cs model’s effectiveness in an experimental setup to alleviate acute stress reaction symptoms. Method: Sixty-three participants voluntarily participated. They were randomly assigned to the SIX Cs intervention (experimental) or to supportive emotional expression (control). They listened to a 3-min audio recording of a real emergency 911 phone call. Interventions were provided before and after listening to the recording. Before, immediately after, and 5 min later (recovery), participants’ anxiety, heart rate variability, and mental resilience levels were measured. Results: For all three outcomes, the Time × Group interactions were statistically significant. Follow-up analyses revealed that the SIX Cs participants showed lower anxiety and less reductions in heart rate variability and resilience than controls immediately after the stressor. Furthermore, the SIX Cs participants recovered faster on all three outcomes compared to controls. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the superior effect of the psychological first aid based SIX C’s protocol over control in all outcomes, immediately after a simulated stressor and 7 min later as well as possible contribution for posttraumatic stress disorder risk reduction.
Compassion, calming down and providing aid are common ways of helping people in need soon after traumatic events. However, such forms of help were seldom tested and other research suggests that active coping may have more positive long-term effects. The SIX C’s model was created to provide simple and effective evidence-based Psychological First Aid guidelines that help shift the person from helpless into active and effective activation in a very short time. The model emphasizes the need for cognitive communication as well as effective activation in contrast to the previous concepts of calming and emotional communication
Arrival to the emergency room (ER) can increase stress levels in patients and family members. Thus, there is a need for a short and effective form of PFA provided by ER staff members, to reduce acute stress responses (ASR). Past studies have shown that psychological interventions based on emotional expression do not help to regulate extreme emotional expressions nor does it prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Alternatively, the Six C’s model adopts a neuropsychological approach that focuses on cognitive communication, challenging for efficient activation, organizing the event’s chronological order and reduction in loneliness by committing to stay with them. This experimental design study examined the effectiveness of the Six C’s model on reducing signs of ASR.
Anxiety and hopelessness are common reactions of citizens exposed to continuous war threats. Common interventions focus on support, calming, and emotional ventilation, with few attempts to reduce people’s cognitive barriers concerning active coping, which could increase their resilience. This study tested the effects of psychological inoculation (PI), which specifically aims to challenge such barriers, on the mental resilience of Israeli citizens living in Sderot. Participants were randomly assigned to either 2 PI sessions or 2 ventilation sessions, provided over the phone. Anxiety, helplessness, pessimism, and functioning were briefly assessed at baseline and 1 week after interventions. No time, group, or group x time interactions were observed. However, a time x group x sex interaction emerged for helplessness: Men benefited from the PI whereas women benefited from ventilation, in reducing helplessness. Under chronic war stress, it seems difficult to improve people’s resilience, although PI may be partly beneficial for men. Further research is needed to test the effects of PI on mental resilience.
Acute stress reactions immediately after exposure to trauma or crisis have received growing attention in recent years and are gaining momentum in light of recent mass traumatic events worldwide including conflicts, terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Unlike routine life, traumatic or emergency situations are unexpected and unstructured events. Early helping responses in these situations is of utmost importance: immediate, focused and efficient interventions are beneficial for the reduction of acute stress reactions and a return to normal functioning as well as decreasing the risk for future onset of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. However, many early efforts were either found to be ineffective or are based on narrative expression and empathy alone. The aim of this paper is to present the SIX Cs model – a new psychological first aid approach – immediate cognitive-functional psychological first aid – for the global nonprofessional community as well as for first responders. The model addresses the need to standardize interventions during an Acute Stress Reaction and intends to help shift the person from helplessness & passiveness into active effective functioning, within minutes, in the immediate aftermath of a perceived traumatic event. The model is based on four theoretical and empirically tested concepts: (1) Hardiness, (2) Sense of Coherence, (3) Self-Efficacy, and (4) on the Neuro-psychology of the stress response, focusing on shifting people from a limbic system hyperactivity to a prefrontal cortex activation during stressful events. Preliminary results on the effectiveness of the SIX Cs model in terms of increasing resiliency, reducing anxiety and improving perceived self-efficacy are presented. To date, this approach has been recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Health as the Israeli national model for psychological first aid.
Under conditions of profound stress, individuals in high-risk occupations may experience an acute stress reaction (ASR). Given that ASRs may interfere with functioning, placing the team in danger, the Israel Defense Forces developed YaHaLOM training to teach service members how to manage ASRs in team members. YaHaLOM is a novel, rapid, peer-based intervention specifically designed for use in the midst of a high-stress event. In all, 904 Israeli combat soldiers participated in the study; 76% reported having received YaHaLOM, and 24% reported that they had not. In addition to measures of knowledge about managing ASRs, confidence in managing ASRs, and stigma-related attitudes toward ASRs, questions also addressed training approach, including the use of a video and instructor type. Participants who reported receiving YaHaLOM also reported more knowledge about managing an ASR, more confidence in managing an ASR, less external stigma, and more normative views of ASRs. Being trained with a video was associated with more confidence and less self-stigma than being trained without a video. Instructor type was not associated with differences in knowledge, confidence, or stigma-related attitudes. The study is limited by cross-sectional self-report data. Nevertheless, results suggest YaHaLOM may prepare soldiers to manage ASRs in team members; future studies are needed to assess intervention efficacy and to expand this research to other high-risk occupational contexts.
While previous studies have examined the long-term mental health consequences of exposure to traumatic events in the military, few studies have focused on acute stress reactions (ASRs) during the mission itself. The present paper describes the development is a novel peer-based intervention created by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for use in high-stress contexts (known as the Hebrew acronym “YaHaLOM”). Following an overview of diagnostic and clinical considerations, we review the potential frameworks for developing YaHaLOM, detail the five steps of the intervention, describe implementation of YaHaLOM training in the IDF, and review examples of YaHaLOM utilization.
Recent research proposes that left hemispheric lateralization (HL) may protect against the effects of life events on mental distress. This study extends these findings by examining the protective role of left HL in the relationship between war threat (missile exposure) and PTSD symptoms. A sample of 186 Israelis, exposed to missile attacks, completed brief scales of self-reported missile exposure, a subjective and a neuropsychological HL measure, and of PTSD symptoms. The sample was split into right HL and left HL individuals on both HL measures. Self-reported missile exposure was positively associated with PTSD symptoms in right HL, but not in left HL individuals on both HL measures. These results replicate, extend our previous results and suggest that left HL may even protect against the effects of severe life threatening events. Results are discussed in relation to neuropsychological and neurophysiological differences between the hemispheres.
Dans le contexte actuel de pandémie qui nous affecte tous, parfois à des degrés différents, de nombreux facteurs de stress ont été identifiés qui peuvent fragiliser certains patients et nécessiter un accompagnement spécifique.
Le Protocole National Israélien dit des « 6C » est dispensé comme premiers soins d’urgences (dans les 6 premières heures) devant une situation traumatique (crise, catastrophe) à l’échelle individuelle, et son auteur, le Pr Moshe FARCHI, a généreusement partagé son expérience avec plusieurs soignants de différents pays.
Thousands of migrants passed through the Balkans whilst migrating from the Middle East to Europe between 2015 and 2016. Humanitarian actions were conducted throughout this route as agencies and governments provided support. The Camp of Preševo, on the Southern border of Serbia, was established by the local authorities as a registration camp to monitor the migration and deliver aid. Part of this aid was psychosocial. Past studies show a relatively high prevalence of stress symptoms among forced migrants, presumably due to exposure to war-related atrocities and experience of forced migration. NATAN, an Israeli non-governmental organisation, is a volunteer-based organisation that delivered psychosocial support to the migrants using the ‘SIX Cs model’. This model focuses on cognitive and behavioural components and is based on the neuropsychology of resilience. It has advantages that were relevant to the context of the camp, namely culturally adaptive, easy to administer, short and adjustable to varied contexts. Moreover, the model gives tools, which could be used later by the migrants in the absence of a therapist. This report describes the SIX Cs model and the implementation of its intervention in the Preševo camp.
Un évènement potentiellement traumatique est défini, selon le DSM-V, comme un évènement menaçant pour l’individu et pouvant amener à la mort (Crocq & Guelfi, 2015). L’évènement traumatogène bouleverse la vie du sujet et l’ensemble de son intégrité psychocorporelle en causant une disjonction corps/esprit (Van der Kolk, 2018). La personne est alors soumise à un ensemble d’éprouvés émotionnels, corporels et sensoriels intenses. Les fonctions psychomotrices du sujet sont impactées dans le présent et le futur entrainant une rupture du lien à soi. Depuis 1995, un dispositif spécifique est mis en place pour l’urgence médico-psychologique. Les cellules médico-psychologique (CUMP), composées de psychiatres, infirmiers et psychologues, interviennent immédiatement après un évènement traumatogène de masse afin de prodiguer des premiers soins spécifiques aux victimes en prévention
d’une installation des symptômes post-traumatiques. Le defusing et débriefing sont les outils de soins utilisés au sein des CUMP. Quelles sont les fonctions du corps accompagnées dans les dispositifs de soin des cellules d’urgence médicopsychologique ?
Objetivo. Analizar la eficacia del personal voluntario y profesional que asiste en emergencias (Bomberos Voluntarios, Defensa Civil, Cruz Roja) en un programa de entrenamiento en la Primera Ayuda Psicológica y su relación con indicadores de empatía y estrategias de afrontamiento. Método. Se realizó un estudio cuantitativo, comparativo correlacional, con una muestra de 198 voluntarios que pertenecen a instituciones que intervienen en emergencias. Se utilizó un programa de simulación sobre respuestas a víctimas de catástrofes (Sistema Interactivo de Primera Ayuda Psicológica y el Inventario de Valoración y Afrontamiento). Resultados. Los voluntarios que expresan que manejan mejor una situación estresante lograban un rendimiento más eficaz en el programa de simulación. La valoración del contexto como amenazante o indiferente, perjudicaba la ejecución del protocolo de PAP propuesto en la ejercitación mediante software.
Contrairement à la vie quotidienne, les situations traumatiques ou d’urgence sont des événements inattendus et non structurés. Il est de la plus haute importance d’apporter une aide rapide dans ces situations.
Le modèle répond à la nécessité de normaliser les interventions lors d’une réaction de stress aiguë, vise à aider la personne à passer de l’impuissance et de la passivité à un fonctionnement actif et efficace, en quelques minutes, dans le sillage immédiat d’un événement traumatique perçu. Le modèle est basé sur quatre concepts théoriques et empiriques testés…