Biography
Biography: Neil Greenberg
Abstract
Whilst only a minority of individuals exposed to traumatic stress and incidents are likely to develop mental health problems, including (but not limited to) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the effects of trauma can be wide reaching. Traumatic incidents often put pressure on an affected organisation’s welfare or occupational health services and can affect overall morale. Furthermore, there is an abundance of evidence which suggests that many people who do not become clinically “ill†do suffer with sufficient post incident mental health symptoms that their ability to function in the workplace is substantially impaired. Therefore, even relatively low levels of post traumatic symptoms are important to detect and manage. The proposed presentation will present high quality academic data to explore the above issues in some detail. Evidence will be presented in an easy to digest format drawing on relevant scientific publications rather than hearsay or media headlines. Experience from a range of trauma-exposed organisations, including the military, will be discussed. The presentation will provide attendees with an evidence-based overview of how organisations can prevent, detect and treat mental health problems in order to minimise the effects they have upon their staff and business. The presentation will include coverage of peer support programmes, which empower organisations to deliver psychological first aid, and discuss other important topics including pros and cons of mental health screening. Based on good science and years of academic research, this presentation will help attendees see a way through the mental health risks presented by traumatic incidents. 249 words Biography Neil Greenberg is an academic and occupational psychiatrist based at King’s College. He also runs psychological health consultancy March on Stress and is President of the UK Psychological Trauma Society. Neil served in the UK Armed Forces for 23 years and has deployed, as a clinician and researcher, to numerous hostile environments. He has published more than 160 scientific papers and book chapters. He has been the secretary of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the Royal College of Psychiatrists Lead on Military and Veterans Health and is an examiner on the Diploma in the Medical Care of Catastrophes