P-10 Identifying Spiritual-Wellness Themes among Trained Critical Incident Stress Management Responders through the Proactive Resilience Component of Psychological Body Armor
Presenter Status
Professor of Psychology
Second Presenter Status
Student
Third Presenter Status
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Fourth Presenter Status
Professor of Psychology
Preferred Session
Poster Session
Location
Buller Hall Hallways
Start Date
22-10-2021 2:00 PM
End Date
22-10-2021 3:00 PM
Presentation Abstract
Disaster mental health responders trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) strategies and other related mental health aid are on the frontlines of providing crisis intervention services to those directly affected by traumatic events. This places these responders at-risk of vicariously developing negative stress reactions such as compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. On the other hand, spiritual resilience may help to ameliorate these negative effects. Since there is limited research on specific spiritual well-being practices among CISM-trained responders, our study examined this phenomenon utilizing a qualitative design. Data was collected from 343 CISMtrained responders who reacted in writing to a structure interview question that asked them to describe in detail their spiritual wellness routines. Utilizing transcendental phenomenological analysis, 14 spiritual wellness routines were identified. In descending order prayer, reading spiritual literature, meditation and attending religious services were the most frequent routines. Our study provides preliminary insight into specific practices employed by CISM-trained responders to maintain their spiritual resilience through the proactive component of their overall psychological body armorTM.
P-10 Identifying Spiritual-Wellness Themes among Trained Critical Incident Stress Management Responders through the Proactive Resilience Component of Psychological Body Armor
Buller Hall Hallways
Disaster mental health responders trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) strategies and other related mental health aid are on the frontlines of providing crisis intervention services to those directly affected by traumatic events. This places these responders at-risk of vicariously developing negative stress reactions such as compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. On the other hand, spiritual resilience may help to ameliorate these negative effects. Since there is limited research on specific spiritual well-being practices among CISM-trained responders, our study examined this phenomenon utilizing a qualitative design. Data was collected from 343 CISMtrained responders who reacted in writing to a structure interview question that asked them to describe in detail their spiritual wellness routines. Utilizing transcendental phenomenological analysis, 14 spiritual wellness routines were identified. In descending order prayer, reading spiritual literature, meditation and attending religious services were the most frequent routines. Our study provides preliminary insight into specific practices employed by CISM-trained responders to maintain their spiritual resilience through the proactive component of their overall psychological body armorTM.