Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD): its role in the Armed Services--a personal opinion

The controlled application of CISD in the Armed Services is of value. In a varied Army career covering service with both regular and specialist units, there are instances where in retrospect the opportunity to discuss an incident in a CISD environment or the receipt of a general health warning would have been welcomed and assisted the group (or the individual) concerned to return to operational effectiveness. Practical considerations aside a colleague and friend who has been closely involved with CISD in the Forces since its inception, cites a very good case for its defence. In the early 1990s, as part of a small team, he conducted a large number of emotionally charged debriefs with soldiers recently returned from an operational tour in Bosnia. Returning 2 years later he questioned them as to whether they thought the debriefs worthwhile. There was a mixed response but the most telling came from a hard-bitten individual who stated that regardless of the benefits at least it showed that the system cared. I can think of no better reason to support CISD and encourage its development.