There are numerous initiatives aimed at addressing the mental health crisis. Some of these include Mental Health First Aid, TRiM (Trauma Risk Management—a trauma-focused peer support system), and various well-being offerings such as free counselling hotlines. Despite the efforts to change the narrative, the statistics remain alarming. Research from the University of Central Lancashire in 2020 revealed that about 60% of emergency services personnel felt unprepared for the psychological impact of their job duties, especially when dealing with traumatic incidents. Additionally, a study by the Law Society in 2021 indicated that many solicitors experience high levels of stress and burnout, with 70% of respondents reporting that the pressures of their profession severely affect their mental health.
What is missing?
Most of the initiatives I have encountered over the years respond to crises rather than prepare individuals for them. Mental Health First Aiders are trained to identify individuals in crisis and direct them to available resources. TRiM is activated after someone experiences a traumatic incident. Counselling and therapy services primarily target individuals already in crisis. Another issue with these provisions is that they focus on individuals, even though a significant portion of resilience comes from the quality of relationships with those around us. It appears that prevention and preparation are largely overlooked. First responders, doctors, family lawyers, family mediators, caregivers, and social workers often face trauma as part of their jobs, sometimes on a daily basis. When I ask people in these professions whether their initial training included preparation for the emotional impact of their work, the answer is consistently “No.”
We are missing an opportunity to build resilience by preparing people for crises—both individually and collectively. I believe that strengthening resilience cannot be treated as an add-on to other training but should be integrated throughout the training process. What I envision is a training approach that incorporates resilience at all levels.
Let me clarify my point by first reminding ourselves of the two equations I introduced last time:
= Professional Resilience
+ Preparedness to do the job
+ General Health
+ Life Satisfaction
= Personal Resilience
+ Physical Resilience
+ Mental Resilience
+ Social Resilience
When designing training to prepare individuals for their jobs, it’s important to consider how we can help them build physical, mental, and social resilience.
Physical Resilience
For the most part, organisations do a relatively good job in this area, especially when physical fitness is a requirement. During my time in the army, I experienced significant physical training. Typically, organisations also prepare individuals well for the tools and processes they need to use and follow.
Mental Resilience
However, when it comes to mental resilience, there is often room for improvement. Organisations have become much better at providing responsive actions during a crisis. But we are still falling short in preparing people for the emotional challenges they will face in real-life situations. We do not teach individuals about the emotions they may encounter or how to purposefully process them. Even when we consider doing this, we often discuss emotions rather than integrating the necessary practices into our training programs.
Let me give you an example of how this integration could look like. If part of the training involves showing a graphic video that may trigger strong emotions, we could incorporate training about the meaning and purpose of those emotions and practice how to process them.
By integrating such exercises into everyday training, individuals can learn to anticipate the emotional impact of their jobs and how to respond to it. This daily practice builds resilience and confidence in facing secondary trauma. It avoids unnecessary anticipatory stress because people have the resources. Additionally, such integration fosters social resilience.
Social Resilience
As Bessel van der Kolk, author of *The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma*, states, “The key to recovery is the ability to create meaningful connections with others, which is essential for healing from the effects of trauma.”
Many experts in trauma, including Bessel van der Kolk and Gabor Maté, highlight that one of the most devastating consequences of trauma is the disconnection from oneself and others. They emphasise that the path to recovering from trauma lies in reconnecting with both oneself and others.
By integrating emotional resilience-building into initial training, we create a space where individuals can learn how to process difficult situations together. This collective learning fosters a common supportive language and healthy vulnerability, laying the groundwork for peer relationships that contribute to a supportive culture. In such a culture, individuals feel comfortable discussing their vulnerabilities, which helps protect one another from unnecessary emotional strain. They can confidently face adversities, knowing they have each other’s support, both physically and emotionally. This connection enables them to reconnect and begin the healing process soon after encountering a traumatic incident.
I am convinced that organisations that integrate emotional resilience building into their training culture will have a healthier workforce.
Resilience Round Table
The Resilience Round Table happens every third Tuesday of the month at 4 pm GMT. I invite you to our discussions, where we will discuss and rethink resilience together. Just email me for details.
