What the source explains
WHO’s guide, developed with the War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, describes humane and practical support after a serious crisis. It emphasises respect for the person’s dignity, culture and abilities. The guide is written for people positioned to help others; it does not turn a colleague into a therapist or provide an individual diagnosis. Supporting an injured doctor can involve ordinary practical needs as well as access to professional care.
Using this reading in your hospital
Offer a quiet place, help contacting a trusted person and assistance with immediate practical arrangements. Ask what support is wanted. Keep an operational review separate from a colleague’s private emotional experience, and avoid requiring public retelling as a condition of receiving help.
A question for your team
Who can help an affected colleague with transport, a replacement shift or contacting family, without making them explain everything repeatedly?
Original source
- 2011 guide · Psychological first aid for field workers ↗World Health Organization · Source checked 2026-09-10
Source dates and country context matter. Read our editorial approach.
