CRISIS

INTERVENTION
By Jane Njoroge
 Introduction
■ Any stressful event or hazardous situation has the potential for
precipitating a crisis. The event or situation that comes at the end
of the series of stressors may be minor making the situation more
than the individual can handle.
■ A crisis differs from stress in that a crisis results in a period of
severe disorganization resulting from the failure of individuals
usual coping mechanism or the lack of usual resources or both.
■ A "crisis" involves a disruption of an individual's normal or stable
state. More specifically, a crisis occurs "when a person faces an
obstacle to important life goals that is, for a time, insurmountable
through the utilization of his customary methods of problem
solving" (Caplan, 1961).
 TYPES OF CRISIS
There are three types of crisis
(1)Maturational or developmental crisis
(2)Situational crisis
(3)Adventitious crisis
(1) DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS

1. Developmental crisis (also referred to as maturational or internal crisis) may occur at

any transitional period in normal growth and development.

– The transitional periods where individuals move into successive stage often
generate disequilibrium.

– Individuals are required to make cognitive and behavioural changes that

accompany development, precipitate factors are normal stress of development
(eg. adolescence Retirement ,marriage and parenthood)
 TYPES OF CRISIS
2. SITUATIONAL CRISIS
– A situational crisis (sometimes called accidental or external crisis)
is a response to a sudden and unavoidable traumatic event that
largely affects a person’s identity and roles.

– Examplles of events that can participate situational crisis are

sudden traumatic event.(eg.unexpected job loss ,serious car
accidents,ioss of spouse,academic failure,birth of a child with a
disability or diagnosis with a chronic or terminal illness) affects
how people perceive themselves.
TYPES OF CRISIS
3. Adventitious crisis (social crisis)

Social crisis is accidential, uncommon and unanticipated and result in

multiple losses and radical environmental changes.

An adventitious crisis occurs outside the person precipitate by an

unexpected event. (eg.Natural disaster,fires,floods,war etc.)

These crises affect many people who experience both acute and post
traumatic stress reaction. This type of crisis is unlike maturational
and situational crisis because it doesn’t occur in the lives of all people.
Types of crisis
■ Others include
■ Financial crisis
■ Natural crisis
■ Technological crisis
 Stages of Crisis
■ A crisis situation involves a sequence of events that leads individuals from
"equilibrium to disequilibrium and back again" (Golan, 1978). This
sequence generally involves five components:

1. The Hazardous Event: The hazardous event is a stressful circumstance

that disrupts an individual's equilibrium and initiates a series of
actions and reactions. The hazardous event may be anticipated (e.g.,
divorce, retirement) or unanticipated (e.g., the sudden loss of a family
member).
■
Stages of Crisis

2. The Vulnerable State: An individual's reaction to the

hazardous event is ordinarily linked to his/her subjective interpretation
of the event. Most commonly, a hazardous event is perceived either as
a threat, a loss, or a challenge. The vulnerable state is characterized by
an increase in tension which the individual attempts to alleviate by
using one or more of his/her usual coping strategies. If these
strategies are unsuccessful, the individual's tension continues to
increase and, as a result, he/she eventually becomes unable to
function effectively.
 Stages of crisis
3. The Precipitating Factor: The precipitating factor is the event
that converts a vulnerable state into a crisis state. In some situations,
the hazardous event and precipitating factor are identical; in other
situations, the precipitating factor follows the hazardous event (i.e.,
the precipitating factor acts as the "last straw"). The precipitating
factor may produce a variety of responses including, for example, a
suicide attempt or, more constructively, a desire to seek help.
■
Stages of crisis
4. Active Crisis State: The active crisis state is characterized by
disequilibrium and normally involves the following: physical and
psychological agitation (e.g., disturbed appetite and/or sleep, impaired
concentration and problem-solving ability, anxiety, or depression),
preoccupation with the events that led to the crisis, and, finally, a
gradual return to a state of equilibrium. The individual ordinarily
recognizes during the active crisis stage that his/her usual coping
mechanisms are inadequate and, thus, is usually highly motivated to
seek and accept outside help.
Stages of Crisis

5. Reintegration: Successful reintegration (restoration of

equilibrium) is dependent on a number of factors including the
individual's ability to objectively evaluate the crisis situation and
to develop and utilize effective coping strategies.
Signs of a Crisis
Common signs of a mental health crisis include:
■ Changes in weight
■ Decreased performance at school or work
■ Dramatic shifts in sleep habits
■ Neglect of personal hygiene
■ Sudden changes in mood
■ Withdrawal from normal activities
 Crisis intervention
Crisis intervention refers to the methods used to offer immediate, short
term help to individual who experience an event that produces
emotional,mental,physical and behavioural distress or problems.
A mental health crisis is a situation in which someone is at risk of hurting
themselves or others.

■ Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an initial disaster response

intervention with the goal to promote safety, stabilize survivors of
disasters and connect individuals to help and resources.
Crisis Intervention Goals
– Relieving the client's symptoms;
– Restoring the client to his/her previous level of
functioning;
– Identifying the factors that led to the crisis state;
– Identifying and applying remedial measures;
– Helping the client connect current stresses with past life
experiences; and
– Helping the client develop adaptive coping strategies
that can be used in the current situation as well as in
any future situation
– To assist the victim in organizing and mobilizing resources or
support system to meet unique needs and reach a solution for
the particular situati
Stages of Crisis Intervention
Golan (1978) involves three stages:
1. ASSESSMENT (Session 1)
■ The assessment stage of crisis intervention entails:
– Identifying the precipitating factor ("what happened?");
– Determining the client's subjective reactions to the
precipitating factor ("how did you respond?");
– Defining the context of the crisis situation including the
hazardous event ("can you remember what started this?");
– Assessing the client's present state ("what is happening now?");
and
– Precisely defining, in conjunction with the client, the current
problem ("we agree that the most important problem is your
anxiety about getting along without your husband").
■ Note that, depending on the nature of the crisis, assessment of the
client may or may not include obtaining a recent medical and
psychiatric history, assessing the client's current mental status,
determining if drugs or alcohol are involved, and/or assessing the
client's potential for suicide.
 Stages of Crisis Intervention
IMPLEMENTATION (Sessions 1-4)
■ The implementation phase involves obtaining relevant background
information (e.g., information on the client's pre-crisis functioning,
previously used coping strategies, the client's strengths and
weaknesses, and available resources and support systems), setting
immediate goals, and identifying tasks that allow the client to achieve
those goals.
TERMINATION (Sessions 5-6)
■ During the termination phase, the client and therapist review the
client's progress in terms of the goals of the intervention, arrive at a
decision to terminate, and discuss the client's plans for the future.
 REQUIESITES FOR THE EFFECTIVE CRISIS
INTERVENTION
In addition to being nonjudgmental,flexible,objective,
empowering,supportive,following are considered to be essential requisites for
service providers to enable and individual to a journey from a vulnerable crisis .
Ability to create trust via confidentially and honesty.
Ability to listen in an attentive manner
Provide the individual with the opportunity to communicate by talking less.
Being attentive to verbal and non verbal cues.
Pleasant, interested,intonation of voice.
Maintaining good eye contact, posture and appropriate social distance if in a
face to face situation
Remaining undistracted, open honest, sincere.
Asking open ended questions.
Asking permission, never acting on assumptions.
Checking out sensitive cross-cultural factors.
Differences between Stress
and Crisis
S.No. Stress Crisis

1 Stress comes frequently in our daily life A crisis comes rarely.

Can't be overcome easily and it takes a

2 Can be overcome easily by coping mechanism. long time to be in the previous normal
state.

There is no alternative in case of crisis,

It doesn't harm an individual if he/she faces it when it occurs it changes the whole
3 positively because stress is normally present in pattern of living style of an individual
living animals. which is very miserable (unhappy) and
terrible.

It is a chronic condition in which the perceived It is the acute condition which causes
4 danger persists over a long period of time potential imminent danger that needs
without resolving it. immediate attention.
Robert’s seven steps of crisis intervention