TABLE 4. Comparison of Debriefing Effectiveness According to Study Group Participants

Study group

Studies

Effectiveness

Concerns


Individual Studies
    Medical patients Hobbs, Mayou, Harrison, and Worlock (1996) Negative outcome PD group had more severe injury
Mayou, Ehlers, and Hobbs (2000), 3-yr follow-up study Negative and no change outcome 1. PD group had more severe injury 1. PD not defined
Lee, Slade and Lygo (1996) No PD effects 2. Self-report Mx 3. ? Exposure
    Disaster/robbery Bisson, Jenkins, Alexander, and Bannister (1997) Negative outcome 1. PD group had more severe Sx
2. PD not defined and was supplemented
Conlon, Fahy, and Conroy (1999) Positive outcome 1. PD not defined 2. Low stat power
Rose, Brewin, Andrews, & Kirk (1999) Positive and no-change outcome 1. Self-report Mx 2. Low response rt.
    LEO/related Carlier, Voerman, and Gersons (2002) Negative-outcome positive subjective 1. PD self selection 2. Retrospective data collection
3. Low PTSD
Deahl, Gillham, Thomas, Searle, and Srinivasan (1994) No change and negative outcome 1. PD not Mitchell 2. Self-report Mx
3. No pre-Mx
Deahl, Srinivasan, Jones, Thomas, Neblett, and Jolly (2000) Positive outcome 1. Unclear/? exposure/baseline 1. Self-report Mx
Eid, Johnsen, and Weisaeth (2001) Positive and no-change outcome 2. No pre-Mx 1. Self-selected PD
Jenkins (1996) Positive outcome 2. Self-report Mx
Group Studies
    Medical patients Amir, Weil, Kaplan, Tocker, and Witztum (1988) Positive and no-change outcome 1. SCL-90 Mx of pathology, not acute Sx
2. Low stat. power
3. No control group
4. Self-report Mx
    Disaster/robbery Chemtob, Tomas, Law, and Cremniter (1997) Positive outcome 1. Self-report Mx CISD
    LEO/related Carlier et al. (1998) Negative outcome 1. Opted out of PD operational reasons
2. Retrospective data collection


Shalev, Peri, Rogel-Fuchs Ursano, and Marlowe (1998)

Positive outcome

1. Self-report Mx 2. Low premorbid Sx

Note. From National Institute of Mental Health (2002), Tables 1–4, pp. 40–63. CISD = Critical Incident Stress Debriefing; PD = psychological debriefing; Mx = measure(s); Sx = symptom(s); stat = statistical; rt = rate; LEO/related = law enforcement officer, military personnel, or related profession.