March On Stress

NICE view

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the UK's body which sanctions medical interventions. NICE has issued guidance on the management of post traumatic illnesses and at the core of the guidelines is the principle of not 'making a meal' of normal levels of post incident distress. For most individuals, post incident distress is not a medical problem nor does it require complex interventions. NICE suggests that for the first month after an incident, a policy of watchful waiting should be employed; that means keeping a watchful eye on individuals who have been exposed to the traumatic event. This does not just mean those who were 'there' but also those who might feel responsible such as those who might have been on a radio line or those who had to help with the aftermath.

The TRiM approach is fully consistent with the traumatic stress management guidance issued by NICE.