Introduction
Anyone who has experienced a catastrophe or emergency, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, understands firsthand the immediate chaos that ensues and how initial responses can influence trajectories toward resilient or severe stress outcomes. Critical questions emerge regarding how clinicians can best support individuals in the immediate aftermath of an emergency. Given that research demonstrates that the majority of individuals will experience resilient outcomes, questions arise on how to identify and reach individuals who will most need intervention. This one-hour seminar focuses on recognising the distinct clinical presentations across civilian survivors of catastrophes, and occupational responders, including police officers, first responders, healthcare workers, and military personnel. The session emphasises evidence-based practices and guidance for what to and what not do when providing immediate and ongoing support to disaster-affected populations.
The event will be equivalent to 1 hr of CPD.
Content
This one-hour clinical seminar provides practical tools for mental health professionals working with individuals affected by catastrophes and emergencies, including civilian survivors and occupational responders. Participants will learn to recognise and assess the distinct clinical presentations across these populations, from acute stress reactions and PTSD in civilians to complex PTSD presentations, moral injury, and burnout in emergency responders. The session covers evidence-based treatment approaches and how to address unique challenges such as, fear of negative evaluation and stigma, in responder populations. Through case examples and practical applications, the seminar covers screening protocols across populations, with particular attention to the nuanced considerations required for emergency responders. Key clinical tools will be presented for reducing early symptom severity, supporting grief reactions when loss is present, and facilitating effective delivery of care during the acute response phases. The overarching aim is to enable participants to gain immediately applicable skills for working with these specialised populations.
Learning Objectives
1. Identify which individuals require intervention versus those likely to demonstrate resilient outcomes
2. Differentiate between trauma-related conditions, including acute stress reactions and PTSD in civilians, versus moral injury, burnout, and complex PTSD in emergency responders
3. Address unique clinical challenges commonly encountered with responder populations, particularly fear of negative evaluation and stigma-related barriers to care
4. Utilise evidenced-based clinical tools for reducing early PTSD symptom severity
5. Support grief reactions when loss is present
Training Modalities
The presenter will use a range of teaching methods: slides, videos and experiential exercises.
Key References
1. Ottisova, L., Gillard, J., Wood, M., Langford, S., Bastien, RJB., Harris, AM, Wild, J., Bloomfield, M., & Robertson. M. (2022). The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions before, during and after a disaster in mitigating adverse mental health outcomes in healthcare workers: A systematic review. Journal of Traumatic Stress. doi: 10.1002/jts.22780.
2. Wild J, McKinnon A, Wilkins A, Browne H. Post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression among frontline healthcare staff working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Br J Clin Psychol. 2022 Sep;61(3):859-866. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12340.
3. Murray, H. and El-Leithy, S. (2022) Working with Complexity in PTSD: A Cognitive Therapy Approach: Routledge.
4. Tyson, G., Ehlers, A., & Wild, J. (2025). Efficacy of stimulus discrimination to reduce unwanted memories of traumatic images for Journalists. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. In Press.
About the presenter
Jennifer Wild is a Visiting Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. She specialises in developing and evaluating evidence-based interventions to prevent and treat PTSD and depression among high risk occupations, including healthcare workers, first responders and military members. She has developed a brief evidence-based coaching intervention to support hospital and paramedic employees (SHAPE) with PTSD, including Complex PTSD (www.shaperecovery.com). Prof Wild has advised the UK’s Cabinet Office on best practices for preventing PTSD and depression in high-risk occupations. She has authored over 100 publications and two books, including Be Extraordinary: 7 Key Skills to Transform Your Life from Ordinary to Extraordinary. Committed to translating research into practice, she has co-disseminated first-line interventions through the UK’s NHS Talking Therapies programme. Prof Wild regularly appears in the media giving evidence-based advice for trauma-related mental health problems.
Who should attend
CBT practitioners working as low or high intensity practitioners, psychologists, nurse therapists, counsellors, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, and social workers. Practitioners who have an interest in working with individuals in the aftermath of catastrophes and disaster.