Psychological support for victims after trauma

The article was written by Doctor Trinh Ngoc Duy - Emergency Department - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

Traumatic events such as motorcycle accidents, car accidents, fires, ... cause physical pain and are also the cause of mental and emotional pain. Psychological support after trauma is helping victims who feel mentally or emotionally disturbed by the events of the trauma.

* Victims may experience grief due to:
Witnessing of an accident Loss of a part of the body Loss of bodily function *Families of the victim feel grief due to:
Loss of a loved one Not knowing how to help their loved one Worrying about their loved one's future *Others may feel sad due to:
Witnessing an accident or death

Different people may react differently to traumatic events. They will feel one or more of the following psychological disorders:
Sadness Fear Confusion Overwhelmed Anxiety Anger Emotional Disorders Indifference There is no way to “feel right” after an accident. Some people may feel sad, others may feel angry; Some people may have a mild psychological disorder, others may have a serious psychological disorder.

Most people can recover from these psychological disorders with time and with support. Here are some ways to provide psychological support:
3.1 In the event of an accident Perform first aid and help the victim get to a medical facility Guide, cooperate with people around when performing first aid Inform the victim of what you are doing and will do Ask the victim about what happened, how they feel. Let them speak if they want to. If they don't want to talk, don't force them to talk. Inform family about what has happened and is happening 3.2 After the accident it is normal for the victim to continue to have psychological problems after the accident has ended. . Some people may have nightmares at night; or startle at loud noises; gets angry easily or has trouble concentrating. Some people experience psychological disturbances for several weeks or months.
Here are some ways to provide post-accident support:
Visiting the victim Help the victim get what they need (bandages; antiseptics; ...) Listen to what they want talk about the accident Reassure them that current feelings are normal Invite the victim to events if appropriate Get medical help if the victim continues to have emotional problems