Download Psychological first aid, resilience and disease outbreak

LIZ LAU
STUDENT COUNSELLING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICE
OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Hurdles Our Students Face
Developmental Tasks
managing change
relationship with family
relationships with peers, the opposite sex,
faculty, supervisors, etc.
academic and career development
normal, transitional; primary & secondary intervention
Crisis and Trauma
bereavement, accident, illness, legal problem, family crisis,
academic failure
unexpected, transitional; secondary intervention
Psychopathology and Mental Illness
personality problem, interpersonal difficulties
clinical depression, anxiety disorder
abnormal, chronic or acute; tertiary intervention
Psychological factors that mediate responses to
life’s hurdles
Phase of event
Family responsibilities
Age
Previous experience
Gender
Socioeconomic status
Religious or spiritual
beliefs
Education
Expected response
Inner Resources - Resilience
Relationships, activities & spirituality are linked to build my
person & inner resources. The capacity to use these inner
resources is my RESILIENCE.
Resilience is:
• the capacity to manage oneself when
faced with difficult circumstances
• the capacity to recover or rebound
• the capacity to transform oneself in a
positive way
When I fall, I am able to get back up & stand on my feet.
Needing Help
Try to recall a time when you experienced a crisis
& needed help
Did someone actually help you?
What was your helper like?
In what way did your helper help?
Did the helper meet with your expectations?
Use of Self as a Helping Tool
The Ideal Helper
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Friendly face
Discerning eye
Sympathetic ear
Soothing voice
Warm smile
Comforting shoulder
Open mind
Genuine heart
Steady nerves
Helping hand
composed, approachable, attentive, sincere, understanding,
accepting, responsive, supportive, confident, competent……
The Real Helper
Human & vulnerable - has strengths & weaknesses,
good & bad days, blind-spots & limitations
Multiple tasks & competing pressures
Can’t be perfect, can expect to make mistakes
Can’t offer instant cures & results
Won’t succeed with everyone
Can be anxious about being a helper
Need to be self-aware
Need to be realistic
Need to pursue continuous training & personal
development
Need to be ready to seek help when necessary
Help-Seekers
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The girl who was rejected by her boyfriend
The boy whose studies had to be terminated
The girl who discovered that her brother is suffering
from mental illness
The boy who was involved in a legal offence
The boy whose brother had committed suicide
Symptoms
Emotional
(feelings)
shock
anxiety
fear
grief
anger
numbness
guilt
shame
depression
helplessness
Cognitive
(thinking)
confusion
indecisiveness
poor concentration
rumination
mental block
flashbacks
irrational thoughts
Physical
(bodily)
tension
fatigue
sleep disturbance
loss of appetite
aches and pains
self-neglect
disruption of daily
routine
Spiritual
(meaning)
low self-esteem
wondering why
why me
reality is cruel
life is meaningless
Interpersonal
dependency
irritability
withdrawal
feeling of
rejection
aggression
attention-seeking
Psychological First Aid
Doesn’t need highly trained professionals
Restore emotional equilibrium a.s.a.p.
Reduce likelihood of developing subsequent
mental health problems
PFA involves immediate, basic, non-intrusive & pragmatic care.
Protect
Direct
Connect
listening but not forcing talk
facilitating emotional ventilation
assessing & meeting basic needs
being direct, informative, & problem-solving oriented
protecting from further harm
encouraging but not forcing company from significant others
connecting to trained health professionals if necessary
The Counselling Process
Assessment & Exploration
Evaluation
Relationship Building
Intervention & Action
Goal Setting
Major Counselling Goals
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Facilitate behaviour change
Enhance coping skills
Promote decision making
Improve relationships
Develop client’s potentials
Strengthen Resilience & Rebuild the Person
Rebuild
relationships
I HAVE
Re-establish trust &
sense of belonging
I CAN
Rebuild the Person
Resume
activities
Rebuild confidence &
competence through activities
I CAN
Strengthen
spirituality
I AM
• Rediscover hope in the future
• Make sense or find meaning of what
happened
• Find spiritual support
Counselling Tasks - 8 Rs
Reach out
 Attend to physical comforts
 Establish trust & rapport, engage the person in the
helping process
Reappraise
 Focus on the precipitating event & assess impact
 Promote objectivity, accurate appraisal & proper
perspective
Release
 Facilitate emotional ventilation
 Normalize emotional reactions
Reassure
 Convey hope but avoid false reassurance
 Restore sense of control, change role from victim to
actor
Counselling Tasks - 8 Rs
Re-educate
 Teach effective coping skills
 Develop rational thoughts & beliefs
Resolve
 Resolve inner conflicts
 Facilitate decision making & crisis resolution
Rebuild
 Reinforce personal resources & positive coping
 Reaffirm positive self-image
Refer
 Direct to other sources of support
 Assess need for professional health care
Positive Indicators
Self-perceptions
Stop self-deprecation, re-establish sense of self-worth
Emotional world
Ventilate & release negative emotions, understand & accept own
emotions; pursue positive feelings/experiences
Thinking
Think rationally & objectively, envisage positive change
Physical state
Take care of personal needs, ensure physical well-being
Behaviour
More focused on active coping, resume normal routine/activities
Interpersonal relationships
Resume connection with others, rebuild trust & sense of belonging
Experiences of the world
Develop greater optimism, increase feeling of control, focus on
present & future
The Art of Helping
DON’TS
Be patronizing
Get distracted
Be insensitive
Ignore feelings
Get emotional
Talk, talk, talk
Impose own values & opinions
Be subjective & judgmental
Be defensive & rigid
Be negative
Focus on assigning blame
Provide ready solutions
Become opponents
DO’S
Be friendly & considerate
Be attentive
Be sensitive
Acknowledge feelings
Stay calm
Listen, listen, listen
Respect other’s needs & values
Be empathic & understanding
Be open-minded & flexible
Be positive
Focus on problems & solutions
Help others’ explore options
Form partnership
Operational Guidelines
Operational Guidelines for Handling Problematic
or Critical Cases
Operational Guidelines for Handling Suicidal Risks
www.cuhk.edu.hk/osa/scds
Multifaceted implications – psychological, health, academic
daily living, familial, etc.
More than 1 unit/staff involved in case management
Cross-unit communication & coordination necessary
Provide guiding principles & general operational procedures,
not universally applicable formulas
Operational Guidelines for
Handling Problematic/Critical
Cases
CONTENT
1. Students’ Seek Help Page
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/content/stdinfo.shtml
2. Support services for undergraduate students
3. Support services for postgraduate students
4. 3 major categories of problems:
Psychological/psychiatric
Academic
Conduct/disciplinary
5. General procedures, relevant staff/units involved
& their responsibilities at different stages
6. Case illustrations – flowcharts
7. Signs & symptoms of psychological or psychiatric
disturbances - detection & referral
8. Do’s & Don’ts in initial helping & crisis intervention
Operational Guidelines in
Handling Suicidal Risks
Early Detection & Intervention
CONTENT
1. Detecting warning signs & symptoms
2. Assessing risk factors
3. Assessing the suicidal plan & potential danger
4. Steps in ensuring safety & arranging for treatment
5. Operational procedures in handling different scenarios:
suicidal risks & suicidal attempts
6. Seek-Help information
7. Important points to note in crisis intervention
When to Refer
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A student asks for help that is beyond your expertise
or responsibility.
Helping the student would compromise or change
your relationship with the student.
The student is reluctant to discuss his/her problem
with you.
The help you have provided so far doesn’t seem to
be effective.
You feel overwhelmed & overly responsible for the
student’s well-being.
You & the student have personality differences or
conflicts which cannot be resolved.
Referrals must be made with the student’s
knowledge & consent.
Motivating Someone to Seek Professional Help
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Don’t try to make a referral when a person is too
upset or confused.
Suggest in a caring, supportive manner that
he/she may benefit from discussing his concerns
with a professional helper.
Reassure the person that personal information
disclosed will be kept confidential under normal
circumstances.
Explain that help-seeking is voluntary and he/she
can decide on whether to pursue help based on
the encounter & experience.
Be well informed of helping resources available &
the necessary referral procedures.
Student Counselling & Development Service
Guidelines for Making Referrals
CONTENT
1. Services provided by the Student Counselling &
Development Service
2. Identifying signs & symptoms of disturbance
3. Common concerns & problems presented by
students
4. Considerations in making referrals
5. Referral form & procedures
6. Other support services