(in English): This diploma thesis focuses on the topic of suicidal thoughts of juveniles and maps the possibilities that adolescents have in such a situation. The thesis is based on the knowledge of the specialized literature in the theoretical part, this section describes concepts such as crisis and crisis intervention Crisis intervention is devided into forms of contact that a juvenile can use. It also describes suicide with an emphasis on juvenile suicide. The practical part, based on research, maps the situation in the Czech Republic in the area of services for juveniles in a crisis situation who have suicidal thoughts. And whether the awareness in this area is sufficient.

Exposure to traumatic events is rare for the general public but common for first responders. However, there is little proactive emotional health care occurring inside the first responder community. No preventive treatment for depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD exists. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a psychological readiness training intervention on 361 police officers and firefighters in a medium-size Midwestern city. A combined positive psychological capital and cognitive behavior therapy approach was used to frame the study. This study used a pretest, posttest quasi-experimental design. The participants were a convenience sample of 119 volunteers from a population of 361 first responders. The participants were first administered pretests using the DASS-21 and the Civilian PTSD Self-Report Scale which measured depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress. They were then exposed to the psychological readiness training (PRT) intervention, after which the same posttests measuring depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress were again administered. T-test results indicated a significant decrease in all 4 symptom categories post training intervention. Implications include providing first responders with the tools needed to process traumatic events to maintain mental health throughout their careers.

The social problem of intimate partner violence affects approximately one-half to two million individuals each year in the United States (Catalano, 2007; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). Commonly the criminal justice system mandates completion of a group-based intervention intended to prevent violent behavior (Dalton, 2007). These groups are typically referred to as a batterer intervention program (BIP). Despite the popularity of this intervention approach, research findings examining the efficacy of these programs remain inconsistent (Babcock, Green & Robie, 2004). Nonetheless, 45 U.S. states including the District of Columbia, have implemented standards that aim to proscribe and regulate elements of program functioning. To gain insight regarding the effects that standards implemented in the state of Oregon in 2006 have had on the functioning and characteristics of BIPs, this study examined survey data collected in 2001, 2004, and 2008 from a total of 76 BIPs functioning in Oregon. Several hypotheses were tested. First, it was hypothesized that program compliance with state standards would increase from 2001 to 2004 and from 2004 to 2008. Overall compliance did increase, though this change was not statistically significant. Consistent with this hypothesis, a statistically significant increase in one component of compliance, program length, was found between 2004 and 2008. Additionally, some components, such as collaboration with community partners, did not change in the expected direction. Second, the analyses tested whether programs that began functioning after the creation of the standards in 2006 would be more compliant with the standards than those operating prior to 2006. This was not the case; there was not a significant difference in the compliance ratios for programs that began functioning before and after 2006. Third, it was hypothesized that program characteristics of program size, location, and barriers to compliance would predict program compliance. This hypothesis was not supported; program size, location and barriers did not predict program compliance. These results indicate that some portions of the standards are being met by programs regardless of their program characteristics, while other components are not. Understanding which components of state standards programs are and are not in compliance with provides valuable insight into which components of standards may be difficult for programs to adhere. This information is important for understanding how programs may need assistance to comply with specific components and whether enforcement or formal monitoring of programs is necessary.

Att nästan varje dag konfronteras genom sitt yrke med t ex tragedier, allvarligt skadade eller dödfall upplevs olika av oss alla. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att beskriva krisreaktioner samt möjligheten till krishantering hos vårdpersonalen efter traumavård vid en akutmottagning. En enkät användes för datainsamling. Resultatet visar att personalen upplever krisreaktioner i samband med omhändertagandet av skadade barn samt yngre patienter och vid omhändertagandet av deras anhöriga. Möjlighet till krishantering finns på arbetsplatsen men alla är inte nöjda. Förslag på förbättring av krishanteringen handlar om bl a återkommande formell krishantering. / To almost daily be confronted at work by tragedies, seriously hurt people or death is something that we all experience in different ways. The aim of this study was to describe crisis reactions and the possibility of crisis interventions after trauma care among the nursing staff at one emergency department. A questionnaire was used to collect data. The result shows that the nursing staff experience crisis reactions when taking care of hurt children and younger patients, and when taking care of there relatives. There is possibility to crisis interventions at the workplace but not everybody is satisfied with it. Among other things, the nursing staff proposed recurring formal crisis interventions as an improvement.

No description available.

Although school counselors routinely provide crisis intervention, minimal research has focused specifically on providing such services in a manner sensitive to multicultural and ethnically diverse students. Responses of a random national sample of school counselors (n = 276, 69% return rate) indicate that approximately half voice some sort of concern related to providing crisis intervention services to students from diverse backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to summarize school counselor's concerns, providing an initial understanding for this aspect of school-based crisis intervention. Additionally, school counselors' comments were further analyzed to examine possible relationships between the type of concern and the practitioners' setting (rural, urban, suburban, rural/suburban, or suburban/urban) and years of practice as a school counselor. Based on school counselor's concerns, recommendations are made to provide more effective school-based crisis intervention for individuals of diverse backgrounds.

No description available.

No description available.

The need for behavioral evaluations of volunteers performing hotline crisis work led to the development of the Lethality Assessment (LA) Analogue. This measure is designed to evaluate the competence of hotline volunteers in performing the specific crisis intervention skill of Lethality Assessment. This skill is the ability of the volunteers to assess suicide risk in a caller. The specific procedures used in the development of the LA Analogue and preliminary validation data on its use are reported. The development stages of the LA Analogue were following: (a) operationally defining the skill to be assessed, (b) the formulation of a case summary and caller script based on the skill to be assessed, (c) the formulation of a performance rating scale, (d) the standardization of instructions given to the hotline volunteers being assessed and simulators performing the script, and € training and evaluation of simulators. The construct validity of the LA Analogue was evaluated by assessing a group of hotline volunteers beginning a training program at a crisis intervention center. As expected, LA Analogue scores for hotline volunteers increased significantly following specific training in Lethality Assessment with control group scores showing no significant change over the same interval of time, t(25) = 4.50, p < .0005, one-tailed. In addition, a comparison between the significance levels of the LA Analogue and two other instruments measuring a similar attribute, the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory (SIRI) and the Test for Evaluation of Training in Suicide Prevention (SP Test), showed the LA Analogue to be significantly superior to the other two instruments in measuring training effect, LA Analogue p < .0005, SIRI p< .005, and SP Test p < .05, one-tailed. High reliability was demonstrated for the rating system used, .95 to 1.00. The expected correlation between the LA Analogue, SIRI, and SP Test was not found. It is speculated that this lack of correlation may be due to the instruments assessing different levels (performance vs. cognitive) of the same construct (McGee, 1974) and the correlation coefficient's sensitivity to a small range of scores (Pfeiffer & Olson, 1981). For further validation and resolution of this lack of correlation, additional work employing a larger sample size is needed. The formulation of the LA Analogue has several implications for the advancement of assessment in suicide prevention and hotline crisis intervention training. The availability of a consistent behavioral assessment procedure will enable centers to compare the performance of their volunteers. With other methods of assessment in which the presenting stimulus is not controlled, comparisons would be inappropriate for the reason that volunteers are being assessed in response to different caller variables. An additional advancement is the LA Analogue's focus in measuring a skill specific to crisis intervention. In the area of training, the LA Analogue also provides the volunteer with an experiential learning experience in which he or she is directly confronted with the anxieties, fears, and rewards associated with being a hotline crisis worker. The LA Analogue and applications of its design will contribute to the advancement of assessment of hotline crisis intervention skills.

Increasing violence in the work environment created a need for an effective intervention to debrief traumatised workers. The aim of this study is to compile a profile of an effective trauma debriefer that can be used as a criterion for the selection of trauma debriefers. The task description of the trauma debriefer is based on the literature studied. The profile of the trauma debriefer was compiled using the characteristics of a self-actualised person, as described by the Humanism, as well as the skills based on Ivey's Microskills Hierarchy Model. Structured, non-directive interviews were conducted with five experts on the training of trauma debriefers. A qualitative analysis was made of the interviews, based on the personality characteristics and skills identified in the literature. A profile of an effective trauma debriefer that can be used as criterion during the selection of trauma debriefers, was compiled. Conclusions and recommendations were made and limitations were identified. / Toenemende geweld in die werksomgewing het gelei tot 'n behoefte aan 'n koste- effektiewe intervensie vir die ontlonting van getraumatiseerde vverkers. Die doei van die navorsing is die samestelling van 'n profiel van 'n effektiewe traumaontlonter, ten einde die profiel as kriterium vir die keuring van traumaontlonters te gebruik. Die taakbeskrywing van 'n traumaontlonter, gebaseer op relevante literatuur, is opgestel. Die profiel van 'n effektiewe traumaontlonter is aan die hand van die persoonlikheidskenmerke van die selfaktualiserende persoon, soos vervat in die Humanism©, en die vaardighede, gebaseer op Ivey se Mikrovaardighede Hierargiese Model, saamgestel. Gerigte, nie-direktiewe onderhoude is met vyf kundiges op die gebied van opleiding van traumaontlonters, gevoer. Die onderhoude is kwalitatief ontleed aan die hand van die persoonlikheidskenmerke en vaardighede vanuit die literatuur. 'n Profiel, wat as kriterium vir die keuring van effektiewe traumaontlonters gebruik kan word, is saamgestel. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings is gemaak en beperkinge is geidentifiseer. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)