ENOUGH ABOUT THE VICTIMS, WHAT ABOUT ME? :

Two Studies Raise Doubts on Trauma Counseling's Value (Shankar Vedantam, September 6, 2002, The Washington Post)

Counseling sessions frequently given to survivors immediately after disasters, such as the debriefings given to people traumatized by the Sept. 11 attacks, do nothing to prevent psychiatric disorders and may even be harmful, according to two comprehensive analyses released yesterday.

Though debriefing has been embraced by officials and a range of practitioners, there is little evidence that recipients' long-term mental health is better than people who get no counseling, or those who just talk to friends and family, according to a Dutch study of debriefing in multiple situations. Debriefing "may even put some survivors at heightened risk for later developing mental health problems," said experts at the National Institute of Mental Health who independently evaluated the technique after Sept 11.

"If this was a drug, we would take it off the market," said Richard Gist, a psychologist at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. Referring to the
widespread popularity of debriefing, he added, "What we have here is something between a social movement, a pyramid scheme and a cult."

Gee--you mean wallowing in self pity isn't healthy? Who'da thunk it? Posted by Orrin Judd at September 8, 2002 6:51 AM