at a 1 day workshop I delivered on March 4th (‘Getting Back To Me Post Trauma’ ) I included the following slides, which with hindsight seem particularly relevant:
- Listen to The Story
‘ I’ve been back to Hong Kong a couple of times since the unrest began last Summer. A family member was terminally ill and died recently, his affairs are still in a mess. It was terrible there, I was frightened to go out because of gangs and you just don’t know who will be listening. I am worried about my family still living there, could be effected by the Corona virus’
Imagine this person has presented for a mental health assessment. How do you proceed?
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You could…•Administer the PHQ9 and with his score of greater than or equal to 10 conclude he had probable depression•Administer the PCL-5 and with his score of greater than 31-33 conclude he had probable PTSD•Consider that he has adjustment difficulties or is suffering from an adjustment disorder
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Are We in Danger of Pathologising Normality?
decided to write a book Traumatised as a project in my relative isolation (71)
Best wishes
Mike Scott
4 replies on “Corona Virus Response and Pathologising Normality”
Gosh yes that’s a good point, there will likely be an explosion of GAD and HAD problem descriptors showing up in IAPT as time moves on. It risks those given this problem descriptor feeling they haven’t coped and are abnormal in some way when it might be more unusual not to be anxious given what’s happening. Good luck with the book Mike.
Thanks
Mike
Mike, may you emerge the other side of this period clutching your manuscript! Stay safe! Barry
My experience of working IAPT at the moment is very much carry on as usual, just do it over the phone or Skype. No real advice or guidance about tailoring interventions to the current situation. It feels woefully inadequate.