Mental health needs for providers of emergency medical services for children (EMSC): a report of a consensus panel.
On October 5, 2000, the select Consensus Panel on Mental Health Needs for Providers of Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) was convened in Washington, DC, by the American Psychological Association. This paper reports the results of that two-day meeting. Major topics addressed by the consensus panel were the need for acute psychological support services for providers of EMSC, identification of especially stressful clinical stressors for emergency caregivers, stressors within the health care system, adverse psychological and behavioral reactions among EMSC providers, a review of intervention strategies, and recommendations for future directions. The select panel agreed that there exists an extraordinary need for acute psychological support services in venues that provide EMSC. The panel recommended the proliferation of state-of-the-art information to settings that provide EMSC in order to assist in the implementation of acute psychological support services to assist EMSC providers as well as the pediatric patients and their families. The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) crisis intervention program was viewed as one such system of psychological support services that should be pursued.
Lipton
Hal
H
The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. lipmsw@aol.com
Everly
George S
GS
D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010372:Pediatrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000078329:Workforce