“You never know who you’re gonna speak to”: Exploring Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners' Experiences of Assessing Traumatic Events
Kerr J., Lorenz H., Sadler S., Roberts V., Steel C., THEW G.
Objectives: This study explored junior mental health workers' experiences of conducting assessments involving traumatic events. Method: Semi-structured interviews with eleven junior mental health workers from a UK primary care mental health service were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Participants discussed themes of ambiguity in distinguishing trauma and PTSD, high levels of pressure, management of personal distress, appropriate training, and personal support in-service. Conclusions: Findings corroborate previous research regarding challenges experienced by junior mental health workers and offer novel insight into the challenges faced when assessing service-users' experiences of traumatic events. Recommendations regarding future training, service design and emotional outlets for junior mental health workers are offered.