During which stage should staff offer reassurance and support to the individual?

Offering reassurance and support to the individual is most appropriate during the tension reduction stage. This phase follows a crisis situation where the individual has begun to regain control and is starting to calm down. At this point, providing reassurance helps to reinforce positive feelings and encourages the individual to process what happened. It also assists in restoring their sense of safety and security, promoting further recovery.

In this context, the other stages are less suitable for offering reassurance. During the anxiety stage, the individual may not yet be aware of their escalating behavior and may require guidance rather than reassurance. In the defensive stage, the individual may be agitated and resistant to support, making it counterproductive to attempt offering reassurance then. Meanwhile, during the acting out stage, the individual is typically in a state of crisis where reassurance may not be effective as safety and stabilization take precedence. Thus, the most effective moment to provide support and reassurance is after the immediate crisis has subsided, in the tension reduction stage.