Short Term Intervention
This type of intervention is based on the assumption that appropriate assistance provided at the appropriate time can, in the short term, bring an individual back to the level of his/her psychological and social functioning prior to the traumatic event.
Intervention in a crisis situation is designed to assist the disaster victim who is experiencing transitory difficulties associated with major psychological distress.
Once the crisis is confined, it lasts from four to six weeks. During this transition period there is both the danger of increased psychological vulnerability and the opportunity for personal growth. The outcome depends to a large degree on the ease of access to appropriate assistance and on the therapeutic climate. Such short term interventions are high intensity assistance generally consisting of two or three sessions a week. If the objectives are not met within four to six weeks the client should be considered for and offered medium or long term intervention.
Medium and Long Term Intervention
Resources providing the assistance required in medium and long term follow-up counseling should be provided as part of the services normally offered to victims and workers.
This follow-up is intended for disaster victims with severe difficulties associated with important psychological distress. It is also associated with a degree of impaired functioning such that it significantly interferes with their interpersonal relations and their basic social skills.
If the disequilibrium caused by the disaster has increased a pre-existing vulnerability in the individual, the intervention should aim not only to restore the previous level of functioning, but also to prevent and avoid the recurrence of psychological distress.
Collaborative Relationship Between Emergency and Mental Health Services
A pre-disaster collaborative relationship can make training available for emergency workers in the mental health aspects of their work. This can help them to anticipate and effectively deal with their own mental health needs and those of victims. Such pre-disaster planning between mental health and emergency services also paves the way for effective collaboration during and after a disaster.
SELECTED REFERENCES
The following are some selected further readings available in the field of Disaster Mental Health. For a more comprehensive listing with sub-topics, you can find online at:
https://www.angelfire.com/biz2/dmhs/refs.html
You might also wish to search for books in the field by going to:
https://www.angelfire.com/biz/odochartaigh/searchbooks.html
Place descriptors in the search box. You can also order the books online at this site as it is a link to Amazon.com.
Other search resources include The Cochrane Library, PsychInfo and ERIC.
At the end of this listing of references, there is also a list of related Web Sites with information, articles and contacts relevant to Disaster Mental Health.
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Aptekar, L. & Boore, J.A. (1990). The emotional effects of disaster on children: A review of the literature. International Journal of Mental Health, 19: 77-90.
Belter, R.W., Foster, K.Y., Imm, P.S. et al. (1991). Parent vs child reports of PTSD symptoms related to a catastrophic natural disaster. In Children's responses to Natural Disasters: The aftermath of Hurricane Hugo and the 1989 Bay Area Earthquake. Presented at the Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, April, 1991.
Bisson, J., Jenkins, P. Alexander, J. & Bannister, C. (1997). A randomised controlled trial of psychological debriefing for victims of acute burn trauma. British Journal of Psychiatry 171, 78-81.
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Comfort, L.K. (1989). The San Salvador earthquake. In Rosenthal, U. (Ed.); Charles, M.T. (Ed.); wt al. Coping with crises: The management of disasters, riots and terrorism (pp.323-339). Springfield, IL, USA: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher.
De Girolamo, G. (1993). International perspectives on the treatment and prevention pf posttraumatic stress disorder. In J.P. Wilson, and B. Raphael, (Eds.). International handbook of traumatic stress syndromes. The Plenum series on stress and coping. (pp. 935-946). New York: Plenum Press.
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Doherty, G.W. (1999). From the field: A sample of disaster mental health
services for Hurricane Georges in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Traumatology-e, Volume 5, No. 1, http://www.fsu.edu/~trauma/art1v5i1.htm Retrieved 2/1/99.
Dyregrov, A. (1989). Caring for helpers in disaster situations: Psychological debriefing. Disaster Management 2, 25-30. Health Canada's Emergency Services Division's Disaster Mental Health Manual
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/msb/emergency/pers_w.pdf entitled Personal Services: Psychosocial Planning for Disasters. Retrieved May 20, 1999.
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http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/departments/socialwork/provider/DMHS.htm Retrieved March 26, 1999.
