Testing a model for the process of telephone crisis intervention

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Communication Studies
• Emergency Services

Background:

• Telephone crisis intervention is a critical service.
• Understanding the dynamics of crisis calls is essential for improving helper effectiveness.
• Existing models may not fully capture the fluid nature of crisis interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test a four-stage model of telephone helping behaviors in crisis intervention.
• To analyze how specific helping behaviors (climate, assessment, affect, problem solution) change throughout a crisis call.
• To propose an alternative conceptualization of crisis intervention dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 59 crisis intervention calls using the Crisis Call Interaction Form.
• Rating 19 distinct helper behaviors across four categories.
• Statistical analysis of behavior variations across the first, middle, and last thirds of calls, controlling for call length and within-call similarities.

Main Results:

• Helper behaviors varied significantly across call portions.
• Establishment of a helpful climate decreased over time.
• Assessment behaviors decreased in the latter part of calls.
• Affect integration peaked in the middle third.
• Problem-solving behaviors steadily increased throughout the calls.
• All behavior categories were present in all call portions.

Conclusions:

• The findings partially support a stage-based model but suggest a more fluid, phase-based approach is appropriate for telephone crisis intervention.
• Helper behaviors are dynamic and shift throughout the intervention process.
• The proposed
• phase
• model offers a more flexible framework for understanding and training crisis interventionists.