1. STRESS MANAGEMENT & RESILIENCE
Group Captain Richard Castle
PhD MDA BA C.Psychol RAF
HQ AIR – DACOS Personnel Policy

2. Stress and Human Reactions
RAF Stress Management & Resilience Policy
Q&A

3. INDIVIDUAL which is beyond their
WHAT IS STRESS?
STRESS is an
EXCESS of DEMANDS on an
INDIVIDUAL which is beyond their
ABILITY TO COPE
RESILIENCE covers INTERVENTIONS to improve INDIVIDUAL COPING MECHANISMS

4. TRAUMA DEFINITION
“An Event of Such Emotional Intensity that it breaks through the body’s normal defences and floods it with an uncontrollable Anxiety”
(Freud, 1921)

5. WHY BOTHER ?

6. PERSONAL LIFE EVENTS ATTEMPTED MURDER RAPE SUDDEN LOSS OF PARTNER
CUMULATIVE STRESSORS

7. SECONDARY STRESS RESPONSE
Disturbed Sleep Patterns
Irritability and Anger Outbursts
Difficulty in Concentrating
Hyper-Vigilance
Exaggerated Startle Response
Detachment from others
Diminished Interest in Normal Activities

8. AT WORST Third Stage of Adaptive Syndrome Depressive Symptoms
Exhaustion and Mental Breakdown
Relationship Breakdown
Chronic Adjustment Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Increased Risk of Suicide

9. THE INDIVIDUAL REACTION
Response will depend on personality of individual pre-disaster:
- Genes
- Upbringing
- Life Experience
And Response of Support Services

10. RAF STRESS MANAGEMENT AND RESILIENCE POLICY

11. OP STRESS MGT POLICY – JAN 07
Roles for Leadership & the Individual
Pre-Deployment – briefing and interview
In-theatre – including decompression option/POR
Return to PU – POL
Post-Deployment – interview, Risk assessment/awareness, ongoing support
Interviews mandatory, sharing of personal info is not
Involvement of Family Groups

12. OP STRESS MGT POLICY – MAY 08
New Issue – Main additions:
In-theatre –
Reporting requirement to PU
Risk Assessment to determine “Decompression” activity requirements
Trauma Risk Methodology (TRiM)
Post Deployment –
Introduction of “Stn Recall Days”
Attention on those with unpleasant roles or removed from the immediate discomfort of the battle zone

13. RAF POLICY Holistic Stress Mgt & Resilience Policy, May 08
Stressors & Vulnerable Individual
Operational Stress Management
Occupational Stress Management
Suicide & Deliberate Self Harm
Training
Families
Resources

14. ISSUES TO CONSIDER Episode(s) not confined to short-term
Potential for Cumulative stress
Awareness of potential symptoms
Do not forget “Uninjured” participants
Link with family paramount
Counselling Skills Vs Leadership
Major Event: Focus for “Acceptance”