Trauma
(Critical
incident)
A critical
incident is any event that
results in a person or a group of
people experiencing trauma;
severe emotional distress
following any horrible event. A
person's experience of trauma is
quite subjective - what is
horrible to one person may not be
experienced in the same way by
another.
Consequences
of a critical
incident
A person is
likely to experience a range of
stress reactions including
physical (nausea, headaches),
cognitive (confusion,
inability to make decisions), and
behavioural (anxiety, guilt,
crying). These may last for days,
weeks, sometimes months and are
likely to affect a person's
functioning at work and at
home.