Background: A telephone support hotline (PSU-HELPLINE) was established at the beginning of the pandemic due to the burden on health professionals and the lack of support at the workplace. The aim of this study was to evaluate the telephone support service for health professionals in terms of its burden, benefits, and mechanisms of action. Methods: Data collection was conducted during and after calls by PSU-HELPLINE counsellors. In addition to the socio-demographic data evaluation, burdens of the callers and the benefits of the calls were collected. The content-analytical evaluation of the stresses as well as the effect factors were based on Mayring’s (2022). Results: Most of the callers were highly to very highly stressed. The usefulness of the conversation was rated as strong to very strong by both callers and counsellors. The PSU-HELPLINE was used primarily for processing serious events and in phases of overload. The support work was carried out through the following aspects of so-called effect factors, among others: psychoeducation, change of perspective, resource activation, problem actualization, connectedness, information, problem solving, self-efficacy, and preservation of resources. Conclusions: The expansion of local peer support structures and the possibility of a telephone helpline are recommended. Further research is needed.

Emergency personnel, but also medical personnel and other assisting groups have a significantly increased risk of developing trauma disorder after extreme work-related experiences. In order to counter these, Germany offers extensive preventive measures for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. The aim of this article is to outline the most important elements of psychosocial support for second victims. Psychoeducation is an important and effective component of these concepts. Finally, the most frequently formulated question, why conversations about critical incidents are helpful, is revisited. Key words: peer-support -psychosociale support for second victims -posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -Trauma-Confrontation ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Einsatzkräfte, aber auch medizinisches Personal und andere helfende Berufsgruppen, haben ein deutlich erhöhtes Risiko, nach extremen tätigkeitsbezogenen Erfahrungen eine Traumafolgestörung auszubilden. Um Diesen zu begegnen, werden in der BRD flächendeckende präventive Maßnahmen zur primären, sekundären und tertiären Prävention angeboten. Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist es, die wichtigsten Elemente der psychosozialen Unterstützung im Bereich der sekundären Traumatisierung zu skizzieren. Psychoedukation ist ein wichtiger und effektiver Baustein dieser Konzepte. Abschließend wird die Frage, warum Gespräche über extreme Einsätze überhaupt hilfreich sind, aufgegriffen.

ZusammenfassungMitarbeitende im Gesundheitswesen stellen eine wichtige Ressource in unserer Gesellschaft dar. Gerade in Zeiten einer Pandemie wird der Mangel an Beschäftigten in der sogenannten kritischen Infrastruktur wie beim Blick durch eine Lupe deutlich.Besonders in der Akut-, Notfall- und Intensivmedizin stellen die Mitarbeitenden mit Fokus auf berufsbedingte psychische und physische Störungen eine Hochrisikogruppe dar. Um den damit verbundenen direkten Impakt auf die Patientensicherheit nicht zu gefährden, ist es wichtig, genau diese Personengruppe in ihrer täglichen Arbeit bestmöglich zu unterstützen.Im Folgenden werden nicht nur die aktuell häufig verwendeten Begrifflichkeiten wie Resilienz im Sinne der Widerstandsfähigkeit oder das Kohärenzgefühl genauer beleuchtet, sondern auch Maßnahmen zur Steigerung und Erhaltung der persönlichen Resilienz beschrieben.Neben den 3 Säulen der Prävention (primär, sekundär und tertiär) und den damit verbundenen Möglichkeiten werden auch mögliche Folgen nach potenziell traumatischen und beruflich bedingten Belastungen erläutert und die Maßnahmen zur Vermeidung und Reduktion von Traumafolgestörungen beschrieben. Am Beispiel der kollegialen Begleitung durch betrieblich ausgebildete Peers werden die ersten Maßnahmen und die theoretischen Grundlagen dahinter erklärt und bis zur Vermittlung in ein weiterführendes und potenziell behandelndes Netzwerk aufgezeigt.

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Background: In view of the increasing strain on health workers, psychosocial support measures are becoming more important. The core of a sustainable concept is the establishment of peer support teams. Two aspects are central: first, target group-specific training content, and second, suitable staff members who are trained as peers. The goal of the study was to obtain a first look at what content can be taught in peer training for medical staff, how the training is evaluated by the target group, and which people are interested in training from peers. Methods: During the period 2017–2022, Peer Training for medical staff was developed by a non-profit institution in Germany with state funding and the support of a medical professional association and evaluated during the project. Participants (N = 190) in the Peer Training course were interviewed in advance about their experiences and stresses at work using an anonymous questionnaire. After completing the training modules, the participants filled out an evaluation form. Results: The participants of the Peer Training were predominantly female (70.5%) and middle-aged (between 31 and 50 years old). Most (80.3%) experienced stressful events themselves, mostly without any preparation (93.5%) or follow-up (86.8%) by the employer. The participants estimate their workload in the medium range. The proportion of stressed individuals among the participants was below that of various comparison groups as available reference values. The training module itself was evaluated very positively. Conclusions: The content and framework parameters of the training were rated very well. There is a high degree of fit with the requirements in the health sector. The participants in the Peer Training seem to represent a good cross-section of the target group medical staff, also regarding their own experiences, seem to have a good psychological constitution and are therefore very suitable to work as peers after the training.