POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

Jackie Marshall NEC reports on prison officers and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. Any situation that a person finds traumatic has the potential to lead to experiences of PTSD.

Types of situations that may lead to developing PTSD include, but are not limited to:

• Serious road accidents
• Violent personal assaults, such as sexual assault, mugging or robbery
• Serious health problems
• Childbirth.

For more information on PTSD, go to: https://www.nhs.uk/ mental-health/conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/ The pathway to obtaining a diagnosis of PTSD would be through a mental health specialist, such as a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. While other health professionals may suggest you are experiencing PTSD, they are not able to offer a formal diagnosis.

PTSD, along with stress, burnout and addictions, is common among prison officers, regardless of what country they are serving in.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PTSD?

Everyone who has been involved in an incident will process it differently; this means there is not a one-size-fits-all set of symptoms that someone may experience.

Common symptoms of PTSD a person in the prison service may experience include:

• Recurrent, involuntary and intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event; nightmares relating to the trauma; flashbacks where the individual feels the event is happening again
• Avoiding thoughts, feelings or conversations about the trauma; steering clear of people, places or activities that trigger memories of the traumatic event
• Persistent negative beliefs about oneself or the world; distorted blame of oneself or others for the trauma; ongoing feelings of fear, anger, guilt or shame; reduced interest in activities once enjoyed
• Heightened emotions, such as irritability or angry outbursts, reckless or destructive behaviour; being on edge and looking for danger; getting startled easily; difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT A COLLEAGUE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT THAT MAY CAUSE TRAUMA?

• Listen with empathy, allowing your colleague to share as much or as little as they feel comfortable, without judgement or pressure.
• Encourage them to seek support, such as from trauma risk management (TRIM) or trauma debriefing services available within the workplace.
• Gently check in if you are concerned. Have awareness and understanding of signs of distress, including changes in behaviour, mood or social withdrawal.
• Maintain confidentiality and respect their privacy throughout their recovery process.
• Stay connected and involved, providing ongoing support and reassurance that they are not alone.
• Create a safe and supportive environment at work, free from stigma or judgement regarding mental health challenges.
• Support their decisions regarding seeking help, whether it be through management, occupational health or a general practitioner.

WHAT SERVICES CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH WORK TO ASSIST WITH MINIMISING THE RISK OF DEVELOPING PTSD, OR TO HELP TREAT SYMPTOMS?

It’s important that you and your colleagues seek appropriate support and assistance as soon as possible after a workplace incident. This may include:

• Access to TRIM
• PAM Assist Trauma Debriefing Service (line-manager referral) information available on MyHUB pages: EAP
• The Occupational Health Fast Track Trauma service to gain access to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). More information can be found using the Occupational Health (OH) portal login (myOHportal login): click performance and attendance management, and then use the fast-track trauma service line
• Support from management and colleagues
• Support from a GP, time off or work-related adjustments as necessary.

Despite these services being available, it is recognised that, in some establishments, appropriate support to access services and help still does not exist.

It is important to assist one another to prevent long-lasting impacts from doing a challenging role. To support each other in the prevention of traumatic incidents, it is important that we operate with trauma awareness and take a compassionate approach towards one another. l

JACKIE MARSHALL
NEC