How to Assess Stress Reactions to Wilderness Emergencies

Injured persons and rescuers involved in a backcountry emergency should expect to have reactions that last beyond the immediate event. Stress reactions can affect judgment at the emergency scene and a person's health afterward. You can best manage and treat stress reactions by identifying them early.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Expect that anyone in a backcountry emergency will be susceptible to stress, regardless of his or her prior experience or expertise. Stress is an expected and normal reaction for people experiencing the unexpected and abnormal.
2. Learn to identify stress-inducing situations. These often include the following: logistical failures, severe weather conditions, equipment failure or deficiencies, multiple injuries or illnesses, difficult group dynamics, difficult bystanders in rescue situations, and lengthy rescues.
3. Identify the common immediate reactions to stress: anxiety, doubts about one's abilities, inability to make judgments or take action, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, lack of appetite, fear, restlessness, and headache.
4. Identify behaviors in others probably caused by stress on the scene: aimless wandering about, irrational statements or actions, staring blankly ahead, and erratic behavior.
5. Manage stress reactions proactively by making sure rescuers are as comfortable as possible, removing those with acute reactions from the scene, and assigning tasks to help rescuers feel effective.
6. Talk about your feelings and responses concerning the incident afterward with others involved and with people you trust, preferably as soon as possible after the rescue. Make sure everyone involved has an opportunity to talk about the experience with others involved.
7. Monitor for signs of long-term effects after the incident. These include: difficulty sleeping, dreams or mental images about the incident, depression, anger or grief, feelings of isolation, jumpiness or edginess, disengagement or withdrawal from activities, and feelings of guilt at having survived the incident.
8. Seek immediate help from a trained therapist or physician if you experience any of the long-term effects of stress or trauma.

Tips & Warnings

• For more detailed information on how to deal with stress immediately following a traumatic incident see "How to Manage Stress Reactions to Wilderness Emergencies" and "How to Conduct a Field Debrief After a Traumatic Event in the Wilderness."
• This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.