9.1: Definitions
- Page ID
- 69211
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A crisis can be defined as a critical event or period of significant change, which is perceived as a threat to an individual’s or group’s usual coping mechanisms, potentially causing psychological stress or emotional instability. This situation often requires urgent and immediate intervention. Crises can vary widely in their nature and impact, including personal events such as the loss of a loved one, job loss, or serious health diagnoses, as well as larger-scale events like natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or community violence. The key elements that characterize a crisis include:
- A Triggering Event: A specific incident or accumulation of events that disrupt the equilibrium of the individual or group, leading to a state of instability.
- Perceived Threat: The individual or group perceives the event as a significant threat to their wellbeing, which overwhelms their usual coping strategies and resources.
- High Levels of Stress and Distress: The crisis induces high levels of psychological stress and emotional distress, which can manifest in various ways, including anxiety, depression, confusion, or anger.
Crisis intervention addresses the urgent needs of individuals, groups, families, and communities facing acute stressors that challenge their capacity to cope.
Crisis intervention is defined as:
- “The brief ameliorative, rather than specifically curative, use of psychotherapy or counseling to aid individuals, families, and groups who have undergone a highly disruptive experience, such as an unexpected bereavement or a disaster. Crisis intervention may prevent more serious consequences of the experience, such as posttraumatic stress disorder…psychological intervention provided on a short-term, emergency basis for individuals experiencing mental health crises” (Source: APA Dictionary of Psychology).38
38Lewis, A. (2023)