The following theseis is divided into three separate parts. Part one
is a review of the current post traumatic stress literature. The
review outlines the development of the study of post-traumatic stress
from early wartime observations to the current focus on the effects
of disaster on both victims and emergency personnel. A number of
theoretical conceptualisations are offered to describe how a
proportion of those exposed to catastrophic events subsequently
develop a variety of disabling conditions. Implications for treatment
are discussed, emphasising the need for preventative and proactive
interventions. Finally, an alternative adaptive model of PTSD is
described in the context for future recommendations.
Part two of the thesis describes a study to explore the factors
associated with psychological distress in emergency workers following
involvement in critical incidents and to determine the efficacy of
psychological debriefing in the alleviation of such distress. The
study demonstrates that workers initially experience some distress as
a response to their work, but that this is typically short lived.
Important factors in predicting distress are poor social support,
knowing the incident victim and if the incident occurred over bot
