Dr Nicola Cogan and Dr Liza Morton from the School of Psychological Sciences & Health, with support from Hilary Harrison-Millan, former Strathclyde student, have developed and facilitated the 'Introduction to trauma and PTSD' training.
This was developed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for health and social care workers. The training stemmed from a pilot funded by UNISON and has since been further funded and rolled out across Scotland. UNISON had identified a need to raise awareness of the latest evidence base for supporting health and social care workers in dealing with trauma and PTSD during the pandemic.
Dr Cogan commented "We developed the training in collaboration and consultation with the health and social care workers and this included interviews with 'experts by experience'."
Health and social care workers have been identified as being an 'at risk' group in terms of the adverse impact on mental wellbeing, moral injury and trauma during the pandemic.
The aim was to provide health and social care workers with an understanding of trauma, its impact, risks and protecting factors to mental wellbeing during COVID-19, impact of vicarious trauma, practical strategies for coping as well as advice as to when to seek professional help. Twenty sessions, to over 300 health and social care workers, have been delivered online since the onset of the pandemic. The team have also just launched their online survey exploring the impact of COVID-19 on health and social care workers in Scotland and are recruiting participants now.
If you would like to contribute to the survey, please click the following link.