Post-traumatic stress disorder
The Expert Guidelines: Diagnosis and Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Emergency Service Workers were written by nine of Australia’s leading PTSD experts to help clinicians, the emergency services and EML to appropriately manage claims where trauma has occurred.
EML funded the development of the guidelines to ensure that we could implement evidence-based processes to support psychologically injured emergency service workers to ensure they get an accurate diagnosis and gold standard treatment.
Since the guidelines were launched in NSW Parliament House by the Minister for Mental Health and the Black Dog Institute, the recommendations outlined in the document have become standard processes for clinicians, emergency employers and EML ensuring that every injured first responder managed by EML is given the best chance at managing or recovering from their psychological injury.
Helping emergency workers
PTSD is a severe and persistent mental health impairment following exposure to trauma. Emergency service workers have a high exposure to traumatic events, making them more susceptible to PTSD.
With no specific guidelines previously available to deal with PTSD in emergency workers, we approached the Black Dog Institute. With EML funding, a panel of leading academia and specialists from across Australia came together. Expert clinical opinions combined with the best available research, leading to the development of the world’s first set of guidelines specific to the needs of emergency workers.
Our members come first
As a mutual organisation, we reinvest part of our profits back into our member benefits program. Each year we support projects like PTSD.
We see first-hand the toll PTSD can have on the mental health of emergency workers. We understand its devastating impact on family, friends and work colleagues.
Now the guidelines provide a way for PTSD sufferers to get their lives back.
Further resources
AT-Ease - DVA
Learn about the signs and symptoms on this Australian Government health and wellbeing portal for veterans and their families.
Case Study - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Flashbacks and an increasingly short temper made 20-year infantry veteran Mick think he might have an issue with post-traumatic stress.