Training at the State Forensic Medicine Service: focus on psychological readiness for working with human remains
On April 22 and 24, 2025, training sessions were held at the Vilnius and Kaunas branches of the State Forensic Medicine Service (VTMT) for officers of the Criminal Investigations Board of the Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania. The training was part of a broader program titled “Investigation of Mass Disasters, War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide Crime Scenes”, focusing this time on the topic: “Collection of Body Parts. Acute Stress Response and Psychological First Aid.”
The sessions were led by psychologists from the Military Medical Service and VTMT experts. The theoretical part of the training presented key information on human psychological responses to stress, techniques for recognizing and managing such responses, and preparation for working under emotionally demanding conditions. During the practical component, participants observed real postmortem examinations and took part in simulated scenarios involving complex emotional and operational challenges.
Participants included representatives from VTMT, the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, the Criminal Investigations Board of the Police Department, the Military Police, and regional police departments from Vilnius, Kaunas, Alytus, and Šiauliai counties.
This training clearly demonstrated how essential psychological readiness is when working with human remains. Such tasks may trigger not only immediate emotional reactions but can also lead to long-term psychological consequences.
While the examination of deceased individuals is part of VTMT specialists’ daily routine, this work continuously demands psychological resilience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to cope with difficult sensory experiences (e.g., visual, olfactory stimuli, and relatives' emotional responses).
On behalf of all training participants, we extend our sincere gratitude to the entire VTMT team for their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to working in this challenging yet vitally important field.
Last updated: 28-04-2025
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