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

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: Consistent with research evidence on risk and resilience following trauma, Applicable and practical in field settings, Appropriate for developmental levels across the lifespan, 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: Availability of community volunteers,  Provision of non-intrusive emotional support,  Psychoeducation, and  Encouraging pre-existing positive ways of coping. 

A Test of Cleverness

A Test of Cleverness You have worked hard throughout the year and are on the way to your college and take your final exam in a hurry. As you near the college, you notice a youngster riding a bike doing careless stunts. In the flash of a second, he hits an elderly man who drops to the ground, is rescued by a couple of men who were going with him.  What would you do?  a) Reach your college to take your paper  b) Call the police to report the misbehaviour   c) Find the boy and ask him what happened  d) Take the elderly to the hospital   e) Call the emergency number  A 30-year-old man is setting in the street begging you for money. Your elder cousin says he is definitely a heroin addict and spends most of his money on buying drugs and says they are all habitual beggars. The man sheds tears on hearing and said he never used drugs nor begged.   What would you do?  a) Counsel him to stop heroin  b) Let your cousin handle this  c) Give him some money   d) Listen to why he nee

Capgras Syndrome (Delusion)

Capgras Syndrome The patient believes that someone else has replaced a familiar person. Both have a close resemblance. For example, an unknown person replaces the daughter. The patient may attack the familiar person. The original name was ‘delusion des sosies’ a delusion and not a syndrome an example of reduplicative paramnesia.. the most common cause is schizophrenia. other causes include Lewy body dementia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Always assess the risk of violence to the family person.         

Organic Amnestic Syndrome and Korsakoff Psychosis

Organic Amnestic Syndrome and Korsakoff Psychosis Dr Waleed Ahmad Vignette A 30-year-old woman is brought to you with memory deficits and rigid behaviour. On examination, she appears lean and weak, dishevelled, is disoriented to time, has a flat affect, registration is 3/3, short-term memory is 0/3 and long-term memory appears intact. She does not have any difficulty naming objects. On physical examination, her weight is 42Kg and her height 152 cm. The lady says, there is nothing wrong with her, while her father says she is speaking too many lies these days. The rest of the clinical evaluation is insignificant except for chronic diarrhoea and recent episodes of vomiting.  What finding will you look for on MRI? Diagnosis The clinical picture, in this case, is consistent with organic amnestic syndrome, specifically Korsakoff Psychosis. The most common cause of organic amnestic syndrome is thiamine deficiency.(1) Magnetic Resonance Imaging Increased signal (ie, hyperintensity) in midline

Somatization Disorder CASC Station

You received a call from the medical department who requested you to see a 31-year-old lady who has been an in-patient for over two weeks. During her admission, she underwent investigations for persistent pain in her upper abdomen. She has been experiencing pain for the last two months. The physicians originally believed this was gastric or duodenal, but endoscopy was negative. After a comprehensive debate on the case, the medical team has opted to get a psychiatric opinion. Upon evaluation, you found that she has visited multiple clinics and has experienced wide-ranging manifestations and pains over the last two years. However, physicians have identified no source of her symptoms so far. She is worried about her physical symptoms but does not consider them as a warning sign of any serious underlying disease. On mental state examination, she has a low mood, hopelessness, sleeplessness, and reduced appetite. These mental state findings have been present for the last two months.    How w