Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER

tm
Learning From The Past and Planning For The Future

MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT
February 14, 2003

"The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible."
- Arthur C. Clarke

Short Subjects

LINKS

Mental Health Moment Online

CISM/CISD Annotated Links

Gulf War Syndrome

WILDLAND FIRE INFORMATION

CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

Rocky Mountain Region

Disaster Mental Health Institute -

SPRING WORKSHOP SERIES

March 22 - Religious Aspects of

Domestic Violence

- Pat Bradley, MA, NACC, LAT

April 23, 24, 25 -

Crisis Counseling, Trauma, and Response:

A Multi-level Approach

- Marguerite McCormack, MA, LPC

May 3 - Suicide Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction:
Tactics For The Trenches

- Jon Richard, PsyD

NIMH Meeting Announcements

The Australasian Critical Incident

Stress Association Conference

The Right Response in the

21st Century

Location: Carlton Crest Hotel

Melbourne Australia

Friday October 3, 2003 thru

Sunday October 5, 2003

For further information

please contact the conference organisers:

ammp@optushome.com.au

Conference Website:

http://www.acisa.org.au/
conference2003/

VIII European Conference
on

Traumatic Stress (ECOTS)

May 22 - 25 2003

Location: Berlin

GERMANY

Contact:

Scientific Secretariat

VIII ECOTS Berlin 2003

c/o Catholic University of

Applied Social Sciences

Koepenicker Allee 39-57

D-10318 Berlin

Tel: +49-30-50 10 10 54

Fax: +49-30-50 10 10 88

E-mail:

trauma-conference@kfb-berlin.de

27th Congress of the

World Federation for

Mental Health

February 21-26, 2003

Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

Contact: ICMS Pty Ltd

(Congress Secretariat)

84 Queensbridge Street

Southbank VIC 3006, Australia

Tel: 61 3 9682 0244

Fax: 61 3 9682 0288

E-mail: wfmh2003@icms.com.au

Annual Conference Society for

Industrial/Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

April 12 - 14, 2003

Location: Orlando, Florida

USA

Contact: lhakel@siop.bgsu.edu

4th International Symposium on Bilingualism

April 30 - May 3, 2003

Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA

Contact:

4th International Symposium on Bilingualism

Arizona State University

PO Box 870211

Tempe, AZ 85287-0211, USA

Email: isb4@asu.edu

LINKED PARENTAL BEHAVIORS INCREASE FEMALE STUDENTS' SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

Female college students with mothers expecting perfection and fathers
who support the mother are more likely to contemplate suicide than
peers from less pressured families, according to a Penn State study.
Findings from the survey of 421 college students revealed that close
to 19.4 percent of both female and male students contemplated
thoughts of suicide, but the proportion of students who actually
attempted suicide was 4 percent for females, compared to 1.1 percent
for males. Michelle Miller-Day, assistant professor of communication
arts and sciences, and L. Edward Day, assistant professor of criminal
justice and sociology, published the results recently in The Journal
of Family Communication. They note that female college students are
placed at particular risk when a father conforms to a mother's
ever-rising standards for perfection and acquiesces in the mother's
non-negotiable demands. For the full story by Paul Blaum, visit
http://www.psu.edu/ur/2003/collegestudentsuicide.html

Expert Explores Psychosocial Interventions for ADHD

According to experts at the Duke University Medical Center, the number of elementary school-aged children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has risen steadily during the last ten years.
Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter 19(2) 2003 For full online article, go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/448258

President Amends Columbia Declaration To Include All Affected States

Michael Brown, deputy director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced Thursday that President Bush has amended the emergency declaration issued for Texas in the wake of the loss of space shuttle Columbia to include all states in which material from the spacecraft is found. For full story, go to: http://www.fema.gov/diz03/hq03_038.shtm

PENN STATE TIES WITH NASA, SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM RUN DEEP

Americans and others around the world shared a stunned sadness as the
Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy unfolded. The
particular sense of loss felt by those close to the space program and
seven Columbia crew members has reached within the Penn State family,
as several members of the University community have direct or
historical ties to NASA and the shuttle program or had research and
astronaut colleagues lost in the skies over Texas. Some
Penn Staters are on the front lines of piecing together what went
wrong, including NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe and Columbia
investigation leader Harold Gehman, U.S. Navy (Ret.). Others --
particularly researchers at Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical
Center -- are not only lamenting the loss of Columbia and its crew,
but also the years of Hershey medical research that was aboard
Columbia. Finally, others in the University community are dealing
with the tragedy in a way that very few can -- as fellow astronauts.
Alumni Paul Weitz, Guion Bluford -- the first African-American to fly
into space -- and Bob Cenker have flown aboard space shuttle missions
in the 1980s. A fourth alumnus, James Pawelczyk, currently assistant
professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State, flew aboard
Columbia on STS-90 in 1998 and was in training for his mission as
many of the seven Columbia crew members lost on Saturday were just
entering the astronaut corps. For more on how the Columbia disaster
has touched Penn State, and how Penn State and NASA share a
long-standing relationship in space exploration and research, go to
the full story at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2003/psunasa03.html

PAWELCZYK RECALLS SHUTTLE RE-ENTRY EXPERIENCE FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

As a payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia during
mission STS-90 in 1998, James Pawelczyk can vividly recall the
sensation of going from the realm of weightlessness in space back
into the clutches of the Earth's gravitational pull. Pawelczyk,
assistant professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State,
recalls his days in space in an editorial column appearing in today's
(Feb. 4) issue of The New York Times. Pawelczyk, who was in training
for his mission in the mid-1990s as many of the seven Columbia crew
members lost were just entering the astronaut corps, talks about the
beauty and thrill of space flight, and paints a picture from an
astronaut's perspective about the experience of re-entry aboard a
shuttle.The editorial appears on page A-35. Those with online
subscriptions to The New York Times can view it at
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/opinion/04PAWE.html?ex=1045364478&ei=1&en=da4a0acc959a667.
For more on Penn State ties to NASA, visit
http://www.psu.edu/ur/flash/

USA - Administration Gives Advice on Preparing for Terrorist Attack
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/11/politics/11HOME.html?ex=1045544400&en=8d0ef4e8ad45057e&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

CHINA - Unidentified Virus Outbreak in Southern China Kills at Least Five, Prompts Panic Buying of Medicine [6 Dead 300+ Hospitalized]
"We did not realize it was a serious epidemic, so we did not take it seriously at the beginning," - Officials.
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA6X2TT1CD.html

Security Council to hold open meeting on Iraq Friday, with follow-up on 18th
12 February �

The United Nations Security Council decided today that an upcoming briefing on Iraq by the UN's top weapons inspectors will be open to non-Council members. For full story, go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=6146&Cr=iraq&Cr1=inspect

DPR of Korea: IAEA reports nuclear issue to UN Security Council, Assembly
12 February �

Expressing deep concern that the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) has rejected efforts at dialogue and is now in further non-compliance with international nuclear safeguards, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today decided to report the matter to the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly. For full story, go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=6137&Cr=korea&Cr1=

SOME ASPECTS OF TERRORISTS AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Terrorism makes a definitive statement about willpower. It advertises the existence and plight of
a group that feels wronged. It demonstrates resolve. It provides a means for the terrorist
group to protest its own impotence.

A common theme in comparative studies of the psychology of terrorism is the need of marginal
alienated individuals to join a group of like-minded individuals with a similar world view (Post,
1987). The need to belong gives particular force to the power of group dynamics. Paradoxically,
a policy of reactive retaliation with the goal of deterring terrorist acts may instead reinforce
the mindset of the terrorist. Identifying the locus of control is crucial for estimating the
effects of counter-terrorist policies on a terrorist group. The most effective anti-terrorist
policy is one that makes the terrorist career less attractive to potential members, facilitates
terrorists leaving the group, and reduces external support.

Terrorists attempt to amplify their impact on society by grasping public attention, giving
terrorist actions clear symbolic significance, and involving innocent figures in terrorist acts
that are sure to evoke strong emotions from the public at large. Rubin and Friedland (1986) see
terrorism as a metaphor for the theater, with the terrorist act serving as a carefully scripted
"performance" designed to stimulate the attention of the public to the terrorist cause. They
suggest that, in attempting to resolve terrorist threats, it is important to distinguish
terrorist positions from interests, moving from the former to the latter in negotiations. They
recommend that negotiations be conducted out of view of the public and news media to reduce the
chance of either party appearing weak in front of the public and to deprive terrorists of their
audience. It is concluded that both governments and terrorist organizations must work to
understand better the interests they share to increase public exposure to terrorist causes while
decreasing needless destruction.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Simon (1999) reviews recent trends in terrorism, and identifies groups that have both the
potential and the motive to use weapons of mass destruction. In addition, he discusses
the design and implementation of effective measures to meet this threat, as well as the role of
Critical Incident Stress Management teams in preparation for dealing with the psychological and
emotional aspects of an incident involving nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.

Individual or collective preparedness for an attack involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
must be based on an analysis of the threat. In threat assessment one takes many factors into
account, including the physical and psychological parameters of the attacker. Although the
potential devastation caused by WMD is significant, there are many limitations to the effective
use of such weapons. Casualty rates will likely be measured in the thousands rather than millions
because of many factors involved. The psychological ramifications will be much longer lasting
(Moores, 2002).

The possibility and/or use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), in the same manner as disasters,
terrorism, and other large-scale events, will trigger a huge response from the military services,
government organizations, and community groups. Deploying a systematic, coordinated, and timely
response is the challenge of all crisis response management teams. Victims and rescuers will have
different issues and need different types of support at different times before, during, and after
such a threat. Spiritual reactions of survivors as a result of WMD will impact diagnosis and
treatment of psychological casualties (Stocks, 2001).

Wessely et al. (2001) discuss the psychological implications of chemical and biological weapons.
The now routine journalistic association between chemical and biological weapons and the word
terror confirms that the purpose of these weapons is to wreak destruction via psychological
means--by inducing fear, confusion, and uncertainty in everyday life. These effects will take
two forms: acute and long term. The general level of malaise, fear, and anxiety may remain high
for years, exacerbating pre-existing psychiatric disorders and further heightening the risk of
mass sociogenic illness. The current uncertainty over the chronic health effects of low level
exposure to toxic agents may further increase anxiety in the affected communities. Wessely et al.
(2001) suggest that unconfirmed or controversial hypotheses about the health effects of exposure
to chemical and biological weapons will probably become contentious scientific and media issues
in the years ahead.

Some Effects and Outcomes

White (2001) explores apocalyptic theology in four American extremist religions: Christian
Identity; Nordic Christianity and Odinism; violent, 'freewheeling' fundamentalism; and Creatorism.
He argues that violent eschatology interacts with criminology in the sense that politicized
religions produce criminal behavior and, at times, terrorism. He presents a brief history of the
relationship between religion and racist violence as well as an analysis of the social factors
that produce political eschatology. He concludes with an examination of religious
terrorism and technological weapons and suggests that mass destruction is the greatest threat of
religiously motivated terrorism.

Victims of human-induced disasters (including terrorist incidents) differ from victims of natural
disasters in terms of emotional phases, psychological symptoms, and social processes following
the incident (Beigel and Berren, 1985). Two basic types of human-made disasters are acts of
omission and acts of commission. Acts of omission result from attempts to save money, resources,
or time or as a result of negligence or disconcern (e.g., exposure to toxic substances). Acts of
commission result from directed, violent actions (e.g, kidnapping, terrorism). Four stages that
victims of both types of disaster experience are designated as initial shock and disbelief
(impact), fright, anger or depression, and reorganization. Consequences of acts of omission and
commission differ in terms of phases, symptoms, and social processes; the primary difference is
in the initial impact of the disaster. With acts of omission, the initial impact is significantly
less than that occurring in acts of commission. Victims are often not aware they are victims
until a disaster (e.g., toxic waste) is made public. However, social processes for victims of
acts of omission and commission are similar. For both groups, there is the tendency to receive
less emotional support than for victims of natural disasters.

Some Conclusions

Kampf (1990) suggests that attempts to defeat terrorism have met with limited success because the
underlying causes of terrorism have been ignored. These are strongly linked with the problems of
intellectuals. For many disaffected intellectuals, revolutionary ideologies serve to fill a
spiritual or psychological void created in them by frustrations in coping with problems of the
modern world. Their societies become the targets on which to let out their aggression. It is
suggested that to eliminate terrorism, nonleftist scholars must formulate and adapt ideas that
offer better ways to cope with modern problems. In addition, students should be taught to
compromise between a useful, interesting theory and the need to live life in an orderly society
that is expected to undergo evolutionary change in response to changing conditions, but not to
be thrown into disarray by every new theory.

REFERENCES

Beigel, Allan; Berren, Michael R (Mar 1985). Human-induced disasters. Psychiatric Annals.
Vol 15(3), pp. 143-150.

Kampf, Herbert A (Jan-Feb 1990). Terrorism, the left wing, and the intellectuals. Terrorism
Vol 13(1), pp. 23-51

Moores, Leon E. (2002). Threat Credibility and Weapons of Mass Destruction Neurosurg Focus 12(3)
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Post, Jerrold (). "It's us against them": The group dynamics of political terrorism. Terrorism
Vol 10(1), 1987, pp. 23-35

Rubin, Jeffrey Z; Friedland, Nehemia (Mar 1986). Theater of terror. Psychology Today
Vol 20(3), pp. 18-28.

Stocks, Karen H. (Dec 2001). Understanding the chaplain's role in an age of weapons of mass
destruction. Military Medicine, Vol 166(12,Suppl 2), pp. 55.

Simon, Jeffrey D. (Spr 1999). Nuclear, biological, and chemical terrorism: Understanding the threat
and designing responses.International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, Vol 1(2), pp. 81-89.

Wessely, Simon; Hyams, Kenneth Craig; Bartholomew, Robert (Oct 2001). Psychological implications
of chemical and biological weapons. BMJ: British Medical Journal, Vol 323(7318). pp. 878-879.

White, Jonathan R. (Feb 2001). Political eschatology: A theology of antigovernment extremism.
American Behavioral Scientist, Vol 44(6). Special Issue: Terrorism in the 21st century. pp. 937-956.

To search for books on disasters and disaster mental

health topics, leaders, leadership, orgainizations,

crisis intervention, leaders and crises, and related

topics and purchase them online, go to the following url:

https://www.angelfire.com/biz/odochartaigh/searchbooks.html

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER

MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT February 14, 2003

SOME ASPECTS OF TERRORISTS AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Weapons of Mass Destruction