Crisis Theory

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Crisis Theory
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Crisis An acute emotional upset in an
individuals usual steady state, accompanied by a
perceived breakdown in his or her usual coping
abilities.

• It is manifested by physical, psychological,
  cognitive and relational distress symptoms.
• It can be experienced by an individual
  independent of others, or by groups of individual
  within families, organizations, and communities.
• It is preceded by an identifiable stressful life
  event that evokes the perception of loss, threat
  of loss, or a challenge.

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The Crisis State

• "a crisis is a severe emotional upset, frequently
  accompanied by feelings of confusion, anxiety,
  depression, and anger and by impaired social
  functioning and physical symptoms. During a
  crisis, individuals experience heightened
  psychological vulnerability, reduced
  defensiveness, and a severe breakdown in coping
  and problem-solving ability. (Turner, pg 176)

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History

• Military Psychiatry
• Preventive Psychiatry
• Lindemann
• Tyhurst
• Caplan
• Lazarus
• Stress and Coping Theory

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History contd

• Social Work and Crisis Theory
• Debates around Crisis Theory

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Major Ideas

• Norms regarding experiences
• Disequilibrium ? Equilibrium
• Opportunity for growth

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Principle Concepts

• Stressful Events
• Universal life experiences
• Extraordinary life experiences
• The Crisis State (Phases)
• Mastery of developmental and coping tasks
• Reduction in intensity of psychological upset
• Renewed state of emotional equilibrium

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Principle Concepts contd

• Four dimensions of healthy coping
• Involvement in daily activities
• Supportive community
• Physical well-being
• Good quality of life

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Time Frame

• Crisis State
• Weeks to months for adaptive or maladaptive
  resolution to be reached
• Crisis Intervention
• Time limited

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Skills and Methods

• Prevention is the goal of crisis intervention
• 3 Categories of Prevention
• Primary/Universal
• Secondary/Selective
• Tertiary/Indicated

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Skills and Methods contd

• Crisis intervention may be psychological,
  educational, environmental, or pharmacological

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Skills and Methods contd

• Principles in crisis intervention
• Aid is provided as quickly as possible
• Interventions are time-limited and brief
• The practitioner role is active
• Symptom reduction is a primary goal
• Practical information and tangible support are
  provided

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Skills and Methods contd

• Principles of crisis intervention contd
• Social support is mobilized
• Expression of feelings, symptoms, and worries is
  encouraged
• Effective coping is supported to restore a sense
  of competency as early as possible
• Cognitive issues about reality testing and
  confronting the experience are addressed

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Skills and Methods contd

• Applications in Social Work
• Individually focused crisis intervention
• Crisis intervention groups
• Family crisis intervention
• Programs that mobilize environmental resources
• Population-based preventative interventions

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Relevant Populations

• Anybody!!
• Crisis is not a pathological state it may occur
  to anyone at any stage in his or her lifespan
  (Golan 1978)

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Relevant Populations contd

• People react differently to similar situations
  for one a situation is a crisis, for another it
  is not (Human Services 101).

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Strengths

• Acting quickly to a persons problem to decrease
  crisis situation
• Very focused
• People can leave with positive changes and
  positive adaptations
• Can use a lot of the skills that have been
  learning, such as empathy and active listening

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Limitations

• Focusing on immediate and specific sources of
  stress
• Not considered a formal theoretical system
  because of the lack of outcome research
• All social workers are not always trained in
  crisis intervention strategies if they dont work
  with crisis daily

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• The End