Secondary trauma amongst administrative support staff working with traumatic incident dockets within the South African Police Service in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background: Secondary trauma is trauma experienced by those in close contact with the victims of trauma. Research shows that some individuals exposed to photographs or video presentations of traumatic events may experience secondary trauma. This includes administrative staff within the South African Police Service (SAPS), who work with trauma dockets. Objectives: We explored the effects of secondary trauma on administrative support staff within the SAPS, their access to psychological support in the SAPS, and their use of the employee health and wellness (EHW) services in the SAPS. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted among administrative support staff from one of the four Johannesburg clusters of the SAPS. In-depth interviews took place with seven staff members. The data were analysed using Atlas.ti. Results: Administrative support staff are exposed to trauma through incident dockets, victim statements, and gruesome images. The study participants indicated that they experienced trauma daily, and symptoms of trauma such as flashbacks, anxiety, sadness, nightmares, paranoia, avoidance, recurrent thoughts, and fear of death. They were overprotective of their loved ones and paranoid. They were not utilising the EHW services due to lack of access to appropriate services, or the stigma attached to seeking help from mental health professionals. Conclusion: The SAPS needs to develop and implement a strategy to mitigate the impact of secondary trauma on its personnel, which include administrative support staff. Evidence-based interventions, such as resilience training, should be considered as part of the strategy

Secondary School Learners' Essays on Suicide Prevention

Objectives: Considering the extent of the problem of suicidal behaviour among young people; the need for prevention programmes is paramount. The KwaZulu-Natal based 'Love to Live' campaign is a programme aimed at the prevention of suicidal behaviour among children and adolescents. Methods: The present study is an analysis of 63 essays written by secondary school learners on the subject of suicide prevention. Results: Just over two-thirds of the essays revealed reasonable knowledge without serious inaccuracies; with over half the sample citing conflict with parents as precipitants to suicidal behaviour. Over one-third of the essays blamed suicidal persons for being ineffective in dealing with their life problems; and over one-third identified mental health workers and parents as sources of help. Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of adolescents' views of suicidal behaviour; as well as within the context of the limitations of the study methodology

Secondary School Learners' Essays on Suicide Prevention

Objectives: Considering the extent of the problem of suicidal behaviour among young people; the need for prevention programmes is paramount. The KwaZulu-Natal based 'Love to Live' campaign is a programme aimed at the prevention of suicidal behaviour among children and adolescents.Methods: The present study is an analysis of 63 essays written by secondary school learners on the subject of suicide prevention.Results: Just over two-thirds of the essays revealed reasonable knowledge without serious inaccuracies; with over half the sample citing conflict with parents as precipitants to suicidal behaviour. Over one-third of the essays blamed suicidal persons for being ineffective in dealing with their life problems; and over one-third identified mental health workers and parents as sources of help.Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of adolescents' views of suicidal behaviour; as well as within the context of the limitations of the study methodology

Secondary School Learners' Essays on Suicide Prevention

Objectives: Considering the extent of the problem of suicidal behaviour among young people; the need for prevention programmes is paramount. The KwaZulu-Natal based 'Love to Live' campaign is a programme aimed at the prevention of suicidal behaviour among children and adolescents.Methods: The present study is an analysis of 63 essays written by secondary school learners on the subject of suicide prevention.Results: Just over two-thirds of the essays revealed reasonable knowledge without serious inaccuracies; with over half the sample citing conflict with parents as precipitants to suicidal behaviour. Over one-third of the essays blamed suicidal persons for being ineffective in dealing with their life problems; and over one-third identified mental health workers and parents as sources of help.Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of adolescents' views of suicidal behaviour; as well as within the context of the limitations of the study methodology