Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM)’s Post

During my research for my Ph D, I uncovered issues regarding relief workers' pre-deployment preparation. I have been asked to write a paper on the issue. The paper will aim to address two emergent issues surrounding the protection of psychological well-being for persons who are exposed to traumatic events or incidents. The first, and primary, primary issue is that the pre-event/deployment preparation for persons is usually in terms of training, predominantly focused on ‘competence’, i.e. job/role functions and tasks, teamwork, etc.  This paper argues that the focus should be on the individuals ‘capabilities', traits and attributes, to identify susceptibilities of individuals to the adverse effects traumatic events and incidents, and the self-development of individualised coping strategies and mechanisms. The second issue is that financial considerations are usually the primary driver of change and recent court decisions, and resulting large penalties, have resulted in changes to legislation in many countries for the protection of psychological well-being. The legislation clearly identifies that this issue is now an element of an organisations duty of care, within the lens of occupational health, safety and environmental policies and procedures. Much effort, and possibly billions of dollars, is expended by organisations dedicated to the treatment of the effects of trauma-related conditions, such as PTSD, after a traumatic event, whereas little, or nothing, is done on the personal, individual capability level to avoid trauma-related conditions prior to the traumatic event/s or incident/s.

Did you know that a common myth about Employee Assistant Programs (EAPs) is that EAP counsellors are not health professionals? According to the 2023 EAPAA Survey, 100% of clinical staff have a graduate degree level of education, with 90% having a master’s degree (MA) and 10% a doctoral degree (PhD). Individual clinical providers who work for EAPs as full-time staff or as part-time affiliate counsellors are required by their respective clinical licensing boards in psychology or social work to maintain all credentials needed to provide clinical treatment to clients. When you use an EAP, you're getting support from true mental health professionals. Uncover more EAP truths in the full myth-busting report by Dr. Mark Attridge, PhD and Employee Assistance Professional Association of Australasia: https://bit.ly/4gO8zK6.

The importance of knowing the quality of what your wellness partner offers and does it align with your current strategy.

Clinical efficacy is at the heart of a true EAP service, based on the quality of the counsellors used and the service standards applied. It is disappointing that some digital start-ups masquerading as "imposter EAPs" have created a myth about the professionalism of these counsellors, and the standards that are upheld. The true irony is that these companies employ minimal clinicians / counsellors in their own business, and choose not to adopt Industry standards (per EAPAA). A complete mental health and wellbeing solution combines both Digital and In-Person services, operating to the highest clinical standards.

ALHAMDULILAH CPSP Part 1 ✅ As an International Medical Graduate (IMG) navigating the NHS job market, I've faced my fair share of rejections. It can be disheartening to repeatedly send applications, only to be met with rejection. If you're an IMG facing similar challenges, I want to share some hard-earned advice. If taking the Membership exam isn't feasible for you right now, consider taking a step back. Instead, focus on securing a stable position in your home country. This will not only provide financial security but also give you a sense of control and confidence. Once you've established a strong foundation, you can revisit your aspirations. A secure backup plan will alleviate some of the pressure, allowing you to focus on enhancing your portfolio and preparing for the next steps. Remember, prioritizing your mental health is crucial. Don't push yourself too hard – it's okay to take a break and reassess your strategy.

OPEN ACCESS Article: Proceedings From a National Summit on Workplace Mental Health and Well-being A Focus on the Graduate Academic Environment Roemer, Enid Chung PhD; Goetzel, Ron Z. PhD; Davis, Meghan F. DVM, MPH, PhD; Zhang, Ying MSPH; Kent, Karen B. MPH; Harter, Jim PhD; McGee, Ebony O. PhD; Troester, Joan M. MBA; Hilton, Lara PhD, MPH; Stratton, Kelcey J. PhD; Vietas, Jay PhD; MacKenzie, Ellen J. PhD Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 66(12):p 970-977, December 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003205 Best-practice workplace culture of health strategies across psychosocial, organizational, and environmental factors can significantly impact the mental health and well-being of faculty and staff in higher education institutions. The success of these workplace strategies hinges on leadership commitment—leading by example; accountability and shared responsibility; and constant monitoring and evaluation. LEARNING OUTCOMES Recognize the disparate impacts of the stressors faced by faculty and staff in higher education institutions (HEIs). Discuss examples of psychosocial factors, organizational conditions, and environmental exposures that can contribute to mental health and well-being among faculty and staff at HEIs. Identify best-practices of effective psychosocial, organizational and environmental interventions to improve HEI workforce mental health and well-being. https://lnkd.in/eaHNcE4v #JOEM

🧾Recommendations for Applied Practice in Injury Risk Reduction⬇️ : ✔️Form strong relationships with your athletes and colleagues. Common factors, such as shared goal consensus/collaboration, empathy, working alliance and positive regard are all important for open dialogue regarding injury and injury risk factors. ✔️ Screen athletes frequently and consistently for psychosocial stress indices, sleep quality, and perceived recovery (e.g. using the Hooper Index). Use this screening to inform open communication regarding athletes’experiences of injury risk factors. ✔️Consider education around psychosocial injury risk factors for coaches, sports medical staf and athletes. This education could include organisational culture, psychological safety, psychosocial stressors and relational issues. Such education could contribute to reducing athlete stressors and mitigating against poor behavioural choices, thus reducing overuse injury risk. ✔️Adopt mindfulness and acceptance-based practice and stress management approaches to reduce acute injury risk. #sportsmedicine #sports #sportspsychology #physiotherapist #injury #psychosocial

This Monday - An online training day reflecting on the experience of burnout, using a group analytic lens. Exploring - location of disturbance and the death mother archetype. Final part of the day, a creative exercise using fairytale. Mon, Aug 5, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM #nhsburnout #reflectivepractice #groupanalysis #clinicalpsychology https://lnkd.in/d7wZuGax

Clinical supervision is a vital part of ongoing self-care for workers. It provides a space to reflect, gain insights, and process emotions, ensuring that you stay grounded in your work. Regular supervision helps prevent burnout, promotes personal growth, and maintains the quality of care you provide to others. Notice I use the word ongoing to describe self-care. 💙

As senior nurses and AHP’s tolerance levels in your professional relationships ebb and flow depending on the situation. Remember the days when you were learning your trade, you’ll have been slow, naïve and your senior peers were tolerant of your need to learn. They understood the learning curve, they offered guidance and were supportive. It’s likely that when you were exposed to certain behaviours or conflicts you kept quiet, unsure of how to respond while you were finding your feet. As you matured into your senior roles you came across more challenging situations at work, more diverse teams, more difficult behaviours, and more stress amongst staff trying to navigate excessive workloads and long days. Your resilience increased, and you became better able to cope with these situations – or did it? You became more confident and self-assured in your skills and less threatened by differing opinions or strange approaches to patient care – or did you? You have become better at separating personal feelings from professional ones – or have you? Your emotional intelligence has increased, and you are now much more aware of how to manage your own emotions and those of your colleagues - or are you? What if you are not managing? What if your tolerance of others is reducing? What if your confidence and self-esteem is actually slipping because of these challenges? What if you are taking your problems home with you after a shift? Just because you are a seasoned professional does not mean you are immune to burnout or compassion fatigue. Prolonged exposure to high stress environments, increases your stress levels and is more likely to reduce your tolerance levels. If this is something your would like help with, drop me a message and let’s have a conversation about how to get rid of all those question marks. #seniornurse #AHP #alliedhealthprofessional #coaching #tolerance