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Psychological debriefing: controversy and challenge
1St Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Westfield College, The University of London, UK. mpdeahl@mds.qmw.ac.uk
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|December 29, 2000
Summary
Psychological debriefing after trauma remains controversial despite negative trial results. Its clinical relevance and the feasibility of rigorous research are questioned, hindering resolution.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Social Sciences
- Trauma Intervention Research
Background:
- Psychological debriefing is a widely used intervention post-trauma.
- Its efficacy in preventing long-term psychiatric morbidity is highly debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the controversy surrounding psychological debriefing.
- To identify theoretical, social, and political issues impacting its use and research.
Main Methods:
- Review of the historical context of the debriefing debate.
- Analysis of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and their findings.
Main Results:
- Recent RCTs largely show negative results for psychological debriefing.
- The clinical applicability and in vivo relevance of these trials are questioned.
- Conducting rigorous RCTs for group debriefing faces significant challenges and may be unachievable.
Conclusions:
- Demonstrating the efficacy of debriefing and other preventive interventions is challenging.
- The controversy surrounding psychological debriefing is unlikely to be resolved soon.