Definition- critical incident stress

• A. A traumatic incident to which correctional workers respond and the crisis situation in which they are involved can strain or impair workers' ability to function
• B. Methods used by an individual to deal with overwhelming circumstances in their life
• C. A psychological disorder that manifests itself in an individual following experience of a traumatic event
• D. None of the above

Answer: (B)

Critical incident stress is the stress reaction that correctional workers experience after being exposed to a traumatic incident or crisis situation, with the result that their ability to function may be strained or impaired in the short term. It focuses on the immediate impact of the event itself on emotions, thoughts, arousal, and behavior, rather than on how someone copes or on a long-term psychological disorder. Coping methods describe how someone deals with overwhelming circumstances, and PTSD or similar disorders describe longer-term conditions—not the initial stress response to a critical incident.