Japan

Having seen some differences when debriefing people from Asian cultures here in California, I started looking for articles that might offer insight.  Though I hate to generalize, the reality is that Japanese culture deals with stress quite differently than the west.  I’ve done a fair bit of business in Japan – enough to know that I don’t know much!  (There’s a saying that the longer you visit Japan, the more you realize you don’t understand.)

Some very reasonable guidance that applies to every debriefing, but perhaps even more important in other cultures: http://traumalines.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/can-critical-incident-stress-debriefing-increase-chances-of-ptsd/

“The validity of CISM in preventing or mitigating PTSD still is controversial, and the existence of such a thing as CISM has not been recognized in Japan yet.18–21 Only the Tokyo Fire Department has established the use of the “CISM system” for stress management at the time of disaster,22 but it is not being applied throughout the country.” http://pdm.medicine.wisc.edu/Volume_20/issue_2/okada.pdf

One of my personal mantras is “Don’t be attached to the outcome.”  When I read about people who are headed to a disaster to “get people to talk about it,” I cringe.  What I’d like to see is people who (1) realize that nobody needs or is ready for debriefings until their more immediate needs – food, shelter, etc. – are under control and (2) go there with only the goal of inviting those who wish to talk into a safe place to do so.  When we get attached to the idea that people must talk, there’s little doubt in my mind that we’re likely to re-traumatize by taking away their choice.

This article confuses me – it does a good job of describing what I understand to be appropriate support, while also saying that CISM is discredited! http://newamerica.net/node/46674

Excerpt:  Research and experience have led experts to focus instead on promoting social interventions that decrease stress and restore a sense of control, safety and normality whenever possible. That includes ensuring that survivors have social support and access to information about the emergency. It also means arming people with practical knowledge about how to help themselves and those around them, a sort of emotional first aid that anyone can offer to a neighbor, friend or loved one. Helping others “is good for the people being helped as well as the people providing that help,” says Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “The more people know what they’re supposed to do and what they can expect, the more capable they will be in responding to a disaster.”

My experience says the same. Working through translators poses challenges, but it forces us to train the counselors – they’re going to pick it up anyway – and once we’re in that frame of mind, especially knowing we’re only there for a short time, it makes sense to spend a lot of time teaching and encouraging people to support one another.

This all goes right into one of the first things I always say when starting a debriefing – I’m not here to fix this or make it better.  I’m only here for a little while – your primary source of resilience is your own network of family, friends and institutions.  That’s what gets you through this kind of thing.