Disaster Management: Psychological First Aid Short- and Long-Term Disaster Management

Waleed Ahmad

Principles and Techniques of Psychological First Aid

Meet 4 basic standards. They are:

1. Consistent with research evidence on risk and resilience following trauma,
2. Applicable and practical in field settings,
3. Appropriate for developmental levels across the lifespan,
4. Culturally informed and delivered flexibly.

Disaster Management in the Short-term

Intervening after disasters

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended psychological and social interventions during the reconsolidation phase after disasters to improve the mental health of the affected populations and prevent psychopathology (WHO 2003b). These interventions include:

1. Availability of community volunteers, 
2. Provision of non-intrusive emotional support, 
3. Psychoeducation, and 
4. Encouraging pre-existing positive ways of coping. 

Risk Factors for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Risk Factors for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The following description of risk factors also answers QID:919472837474

The best answer would be d) her intelligence quotient. The patient has developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including the most specific “intrusive symptoms.” These have occurred after the life-threatening event she went through. Both the international classification of diseases and the diagnostic and statistical manual require such a precipitating factor for making the diagnosis. It is an event that is life-threatening, or according to the diagnostic and statistical manual, one that threatens body-integrity (e.g. rape). One may either be a bystander or directly threatened by the event. However, this factor interacts with other predisposing or vulnerability factors in an individual to trigger the condition. Genetic factors account for about one-third of the vulnerability, according to a study conducted on twins working in the U.S. military. Other notable predisposing factors include female gender, a history of anxiety or depression, lower levels of intelligence, neurotic traits, a history of trauma, and lower social support. Her gender, her history of depression, of experiencing a similar event, and her personality, may all have predisposed her to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Low and not an elevated level of intelligence predisposes to post-traumatic stress disorder. Thus, her elevated level of intelligence may not have added to her risk.

FAINTS

•      Female Gender, Family History of Psychiatric Illness
•      Anxiety/mood disorder (history of)
•      Intelligence (low)
•      Neuroticism
•      Trauma, history of
•      Social support (poor)