Psychological health, following a confrontation with a critical event, an issue often underestimated in organizations

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Definition of Psychological Health

Mental or psychological health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and is not simply the absence of mental disorders.
According to the WHO, mental health is “a state of well-being that enables everyone to realize their potential, to cope with normal life difficulties, to work successfully and productively, and to be able to make a contribution to the community”.

The possible consequences of a confrontation with a critical event

A psychotraumatic event, or a traumatic situation, is an accident (cf. Claude Barrois, traumatic neuroses, Dunod, Paris, 1998), a rupture outside the usual human experience. It is an event that most people would find upsetting and that provokes feelings of terror, horror, helplessness, failure or disgust. It is a sudden, unforeseen and violent event that threatens life, physically and psychologically. When a traumatic event occurs, the consequences are painful not only for the victim but also often for his family and professional environment.
In general, companies, for lack of knowledge and information on the human and economic impacts of such crises, do nothing. At best, they secure the services of a generalist “psychologist”, whose qualification and skills do not matter as long as he has the title of “psychologist”. However, this type of intervention requires the use of psychologists specialized in crisis resolution as well as in victimology and with solid experience in the methods and practices of emergency intervention.
The stress caused by a serious incident can be presented as a problem that worsens over time until it spontaneously transforms, in the worst case, into post-traumatic neurosis if no specialist support has been offered.

Potential human and financial costs

Without appropriate action immediately after an incident, one in five people may develop symptoms leading to serious and sometimes chronic personality, social and health disorders, with direct repercussions on professional work and family life.
The calculation of the costs of post-traumatic stress includes in particular a decline in the quality and performance of work, the increase in absenteeism rates, resignations, staff turnover, increased use of medical services, etc.
It appears that preventing risks at an early stage is more cost-effective and offers greater added value in the long term. Late intervention has a much higher cost than prevention. Research in Canada has shown that for every dollar invested in critical incident stress prevention services, seven dollars are saved in employee assistance services (source: Department of Health and Wellness Canada ).

Digital presence, to be well supported by local experts

The deployment of this platform will generate sustainable value by reducing execution times, improving operational efficiency, reducing costs and contributing to the prevention of PsychoSocial Risks.
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