1. ABSTRACT FOR 5 TH KENYA PSYCHIATRIC CONFERENCE VENUE: LA MADA HOTEL – NAIROBI CRITICAL INCIDENCE DEBRIEFING: A case study of Kitale by R. Songole

2. INTRODUCTION Critical incidence stress debriefing (CISD) is a formalized structured method whereby a group of trauma victims are helped to review the stressful experiences of a disaster. CISD was designed to be delivered in a group formal

3. COMPONENTS OF CISM Critical Incidence Stress Management  Pre-crisis intervention  Information briefing  Staff advisement  One on one crisis counseling  Support family  Crisis intervention organizational consultation  Follow up Referral mechanisms for assessment and treatment.

4. OBJECTIVE  To prevent adverse health outcomes  To enhance the well being of individual and their families

5. METHOD Focus group discussion with 28 staff members divided into 2groups. Members were asked to respond to the following questions.  What happened?  Where were you when it happened?  How they got the news  How they reacted  How the incidence has affected them  What was the hardest part of all this?

6. FINDINGS Impairment in ability to think concentrate and remember. Developed distrust to colleagues and strangers. Anxiety of being alone or accompanying their spouses. Tension and poor productivity Fearfull public would associated them with the murderer Avoided elements of traumatic reminders Uneasiness with customers There wasSignificant improvement after 2 weeks Four members still needed individualized attention

7. CONCLUSION Trauma is everywhere, at individual level, family, institutional and at social levels. While psychological debriefing is nearly always helpful, it involves clarifying events and providing education about normal responses and coping mechanisms. Care must be taken before delivering more emotionally focused interventions. To avoid harm psychological debriefing must be conducted by experienced and well- trained practitioners.

8. Continuation It is not a guarantee that debriefing prevents psychopathology but we do believe that debriefing is often well received and that it may help to: facilitate the screening of those at risk, disseminate education and referral information and improve organizational staff morale. There is need to carry out research on evidence whether debriefing prevents psychopathology.