Five years ago, Australian experts – with financial help from EML – published guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD in emergency service workers. Since then, treatment practices and accessibility have significantly improved.
EML revealed that consultation session durations increased since the publication of the guidelines, which emphasised that 90 minutes is required to discuss traumatic events in detail during therapy.
The maximum compensable session duration in 2015 was only 60 minutes. However, submissions were made to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) following the publication of the guidelines, leading to an increase in the compensable consultation duration to 90 minutes.
The guidelines also recommended Eye Movement Desensitising and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy as a gold standard for PTSD treatment.
As a result, EML funded a series of training sessions that helped over 100 psychologists deliver EMDR and PE therapy to clients who have PTSD.
EML also partnered with experts and emergency service agencies to support and develop videos, guides, and articles on managing PTSD for both injured workers and clinicians.
“At EML we see firsthand the toll PTSD and exposure to trauma can have on the mental health of emergency service workers, as well as the far-reaching impacts on their family, friends, and work colleagues,” said Matt Rodwell, the EML general manager of insurance for New South Wales.
Rodwell confirmed that the government has committed to a national action plan on first responder mental health.
“The effects of a psychological injury on a person’s total wellbeing cannot be underestimated. EML is committed to working with our emergency service, academic, clinical, and community partners to deliver improvements in the prevention, management, and recovery from psychological injuries like PTSD,” he said.
