Reflections on personal psychological resilience arising from the Shoreham air crash in 2015

Tony Kemp

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

Following critical events many people experience a period of emotional and cognitive disturbance before re-establishing well-being without the need for formal psychological support. Those working in emergency care have frequent and repeated exposure to such incidents and are therefore at increased risk of psychological distress. This article discusses the psychological sequalae of the author’s witnessing and involvement in the immediate on-scene care of those injured in the Shoreham, England air show crash in August 2015. Using narrative reflection, the author describes, with reference to the literature, his psychological journey drawing particularly on the conservation of resources theory. Within this is the recognition that unduly early and misinformed emphasis on psychological disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder are not only unhelpful but may deliver the person into greater distress and long-term mental health problems.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Emergency Nurse (Volume 27, Issue 5)

Publication milestones

Published - 26/03/2019

Publication status

Published - 26/03/2019

ISSN

1354-5752

External Publication IDs

handle.net: 10547/623505
Scopus: 85069573243

Access to documents

10.7748/en.2019.e1913

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