Learning From The Past and Planning For The Future
MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT December 10, 2000 "Every exit is an entry somewhere else." - Tom Stoppard
LINKS AND SHORT TOPICS
LINKS AND SHORT TOPICS
The Science and Ecology of Early Development 2000 Initiative http://www.grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-00-108.html
Visit this page to read how health behavior researchers can team up with their colleagues in anthropology, economics, epidemiology, history, political science and sociology to apply for research grants to study the environmental, social, economic or developmental factors that affect children living in poverty. Grants may cover up to five years of the research. The Science and Ecology of Early Development 2000 Initiative is co-sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health.
* * * * * The National Research Council administers the Ford Foundation Fellowships for Minorities, which awards approximately 60 predoctoral, 40 dissertation and 30 postdoctoral fellowships up to $35,000 for one year, plus travel, research and employing institution costs and allowances. Contact: Fellowship Programs Office, NRC, 2101 Constitution Ave., Washington, D.C. 20418; (202) 334-2872; fax: (202) 334-3419; email: infofell@nas.edu; Web site: http://www.national-academies.org/osep/fo
* * * * * China Cultural Tour Information https://www.angelfire.com/biz3/odocspan/china1.html
* * * * * The first Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention is expected to be published in 2002. It will cover foundational issues, infancy and early childhood, school-aged children, adolescents, adults and older persons. Professionals are invited to join the project. Contact: Tom Gullotta, email: tpgullotta@aol.com; or Martin Bloom, email: bloom@uconnvm.uconn.edu
DISASTER ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
Many types of activities have been used to help children adapt successfully following a disaster. The following briefly discusses three key components that have been used in many of the interventions reported in the research literature.Exposure To And Discussion Of Disaster-related Events
Research suggests that repeated presentation of disaster related material helps to reduce the emotional distress following such events. This suggests that children need an opportunity to talk about their experiences in a safe, accepting environment in order to recover from the disaster. Activities help achieve this goal by providing many chances for children to discuss their experiences guided by class rules that ensure respect for other children's opinions. Since individual children are likely to respond differently to various techniques of expression, the activities should use a range of methods including both verbal and nonverbal expression, and varying modalities (drawings, stories, audio and video recordings).
Promotion Of Positive Coping And Problem Solving Skills
Research suggests that the development of positive strategies and problem solving skills can improve children's management of the stressors after a disaster. Activities can help achieve this goal by including methods to teach and apply problem solving skills for disaster-related stressors. The children should be encouraged to develop positive, realistic methods of coping that increase their feelings of control over their own anxiety. They should also be encouraged to identify which coping strategies fit which types of situations.
Strengthening Of Children's Friendships And Peer Support
Research has shown that children with strong emotional support from others are better able to cope and adjust in stressful situations. Children's relationships with peers help to decrease isolation and to give suggestions for how to react and cope with difficulties. However, in many disaster situations usual friendships are disrupted due to the relocation of families. Additionally, family members may be less available to provide support to children because of their own distress following a disaster. It's therefore important for children to develop supportive relationships with their classmates and with their teachers. Research has suggested that involving children in small group activities can achieve several of these purposes. Activities should encourage children to work cooperatively in small groups toward a common goal, to enhance peer support.
Guidelines For Small Group Activities
To help encourage development of supportive friendships among classmates, the following strategies during classroom activities are suggested:
* Form small groups of 4 to 6 children.
* Mix up usual clusters of children. This exposes the children to others who may be potential friends, and allows children who may not be as popular to interact with more popular children. It is best if the teacher puts together the groups rather than allowing the children to choose their own teams. This provides them with the opportunity to get to know other classmates better.
* Give shy or unpopular children the opportunity to be a group captain. This encourages their interaction with the rest of the children.
* Do not mix boys and girls within the small groups. Most children at this age would be more likely to form a friendship with someone of the same sex.
Guidelines For Leading A Discussion With Children
1. Ask the children themselves to evaluate their functioning It is very important to ask the children themselves how they are doing rather than relying on the reports of their parents or on their behavior. Sometimes children do not express their difficulties in order to protect the adults around them. Children need the opportunity to discuss their feelings while believing that they will be accepted and supported during the process.
2. Express your own feelings outside of the classroom. If you were also affected by the disaster, it helps to express your feelings outside of the classroom before you discuss these topics with the children. This will allow you to listen more effectively to the children.
3. Use open ended questions. The best types of questions to use are "open ended" which means that they cannot be answered by a "yes" or "no" only. Questions that are helpful often begin with words such as "what?", "How?", "Which?", or "When?".
4. Be a good listener. It is best for you to listen to and promote the children's expressions of feelings rather than controlling the discussion yourself.
5. Do not require participation. Do not require all children to participate in the discussion. Many children may not feel comfortable sharing their feelings in a group or may not be ready to discuss these topics. Children can benefit from just listening to the comments of others.
6. Acknowledge and normalize children's statements. When the children express their feelings, it will be helpful for you to acknowledge their statements by making comments such as "It sounds like you were very angry" or "That part made you feel sad." It is also important to help normalize their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors with comments such as "Lots of kids who go through a disaster feel that way" or "It's OK to feel angry about that."
Class Discussion
1. Discuss the idea of hope and new beginnings. Asdk the children to talk about the idea of hope together as a class. Be sure to emphasize the idea of hope in the context of hopefulness or optimism. Point out that hope helps people keep going during difficult times, and that children and adults can sometimes help make the things they hope for come true or happen.
2. Have the children pick one thing that they hope for. Next, point out that although many things are better now than they were after the disaster, there are still many things to hope for. Ask each child to think of one thing he or she really wants to see happen during the upcoming year and to write that thing down on a sheet of paper. Allow a few minutes, then ask for examples from the class.
3. Discuss the difference between realistic and unrealistic goals. For each example given, help the class evaluate whether a child can help that hope come true, and how this might be done. Continue this process until the children seem to understand the difference between things they could hope for and help to happen (e.g. make new friends, get better grades, worry less about disasters) versus things they could hope for but do very little to influence (e.g. become rich, build a new house).
4. Have the children pick a realistic goal and plan. After this distinction is clear, ask the children to write down one important thing that they hope for and can realistically help to happen. Next, ask the children to write down at least two things they can do to help the "hope" they listed occur. Encourage the children to save this paper so they can remind themselves of their goals and plans.
Possible Activities
Following are some suggestions to help promote discussion about children's feelings and thoughts:
* Use puppets to tell a story about the disaster
* Use photos, drawings, or a video to start a discussion
* Make a skit, play, or role-play related to the disaster. Provide relevant "dress-up" clothes, and other disaster related items if possible.
* Do a show and tell about the disaster.
* Ask the children to share a story about what happened to them during the disaster.
* Ask the children to write a story about "What I do and don't like about the rain (or wind, etc.)."
* Play a "feelings game" where you have a bag filled with people with different facial expressions (from magazines or your own drawings) and you ask a child to pick one. Have the child guess the feeling of the person and ask them to tell about a time that they have felt that way.
* Have the children write poems about the disaster for the school newspaper or for a classroom booklet.
* Read a story about storms (or other similar events) to the children or have them read it to themselves. Have a discussion about how the characters in the story felt and how they made themselves feel better. Have the children relate that to their own experiences.
The above activities are suggested to be used with elementary school age children. However, it is important for each professional to adapt the material to the particular age and level of the children. The activities should be designed and used to decrease distress and enhance positive outcomes. They have been used successfully in numerous classrooms. In the unlikely event that the discussion of disaster related material causes a child to become distressed, the teacher should consult with the school counselor or psychologist for additional help.
The following are some suggested questions to use when discussing the event with children:
* Where were you when it happened?
* What were you doing?
* Where was your family?
* Where were your friends?
* What was your first thought when it happened?
* What were you thinking during it?
* What did you see?
* What changed after the disaster?
* What do you miss most after the disaster?
* What did you hear?
* What sound did it make?
* What did you do after it?
* What did you lose?
* How did you feel?
* What did other people around you do (during, after)?
* What happened to the animals around you?
* What dreams did you have after it?
* What reminds you of it? When do you think about it?
* What do you do differently since the disaster?
* How do you feel now?
* What makes you feel better?
* How have you gotten through rough times before?
* What would you do differently if it happened again?
* How did you help others? How would you help next time? *************************************************************************************************************
SELECTED REFERENCES Frederick, C.J.; Pynoos, R. and Nader, K. (1992). Reaction Index to Psychic Trauma Form C (Child). Unpublished manuscript, UCLA.
Green, B.L. (1991). Evaluating the effects of disasters. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 3(4), 538-546.
LaGreca, A.M. (1990). Through the eyes of a child: Obtaining self-reports from children and adolescents. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Lonigan, C.J.; Shannon, M.P.; Taylor, C.M.; Finch, A.J.; and Sallee, F.R. (1994). Children exposed to disaster: II. Risk factors for the development of post-traumatic symptomatology. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 33, 94-105.
Saylor, C.F. (Ed.) (1993). Children and Disasters, New York: Plenum Press.
Shannon, M.P.; Lonigan, C.J.; Finch, A.J.; and Taylor, C.M. (1994). Children exposed to disaster. I. Epidemiology of post-traumatic symptoms and symptom profiles. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 33, 80-93.
Silverman, W. and Kearney, C.A. (1991). The nature and treatment of anxiety in school aged children. Educational Psychology Review, 3, 335-361.
Vernberg, E.M. and Vogel, J. (1993). Interventions with children after disasters. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 22, 484-498.
Vogel, J. and Vernberg, E.M. (1993). Children's psychological responses to disaster. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 22, 470-484.
Wilson, J.P. and Raphael, B. (Eds.) (1993). International Handbook of Traumatic Stress Syndromes. New York: Plenum Press.
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
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Contact your local Mental Health Center or check the yellow pages for counselors, psychologists, therapists, and other Mental health Professionals in your area for further information.
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George W. Doherty Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Institute Box 786 Laramie, WY 82073-0786
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