A gas explosion in Ghislenghien (Belgium, July 2004) instantly killed five firefighters, one police officer and 18 civilians. Moreover, 132 people were wounded and many of them suffered severe burn injuries. This book aims at clarifying the impact of a technological disaster, both phenomenologically and empirically. It also wishes to enhance the understanding of the challenges for psychological help in the wake of technological disaster. On the phenomenological side, the experiences of a disaster survivor are used to set the stage for a discussion on the conceptual differences between mainstream (Anglo-Saxon) trauma theories and the more classical (French) psychodynamic theories. Three chapters provide contextual information on the trauma inflicted by a massive explosion. On the empirical side, the focus is on the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms in adult and child survivors of a massive gas explosion, in their family members as well as in family members of deceased victims. Four chapters provide a quantitative approach of trauma-related mental health disturbances in adults and children after a technological disaster. The results clearly indicate the influence of the degree of exposure, peritraumatic dissociation and dissatisfaction with social support on the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. The risk for the development of four types of mental health disturbances (somatization, depression, anxiety and sleeping disturbances) was much higher in direct witnesses who have seen human damage. The epilogue discusses possible future developments for early psychophysiological stabilization of disaster victims.
Renowned scientists and practitioners provide a concise summary of current theory, research, and clinical practice regarding traumatic stress. An integrative biopsychosocial theory of trauma response provides a framework for the book.
A reference on mental health and disasters, focused on the full spectrum of psychopathologies associated with many different types of disasters.
... M. Not-So-Happy Anniversaries (Columbine) I. Road Map A. Collaboration Pre-Disaster Planning B. Disaster Response C. Post-Disaster D. Long-Term Activities Conclusion Appendix Index Foreword As many people of my generation do, I clearly.
Preparing for the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism highlights some of the critical issues in responding to the psychological needs that result from terrorism and provides possible options for intervention.
This book makes the case that disaster recovery should be guided by a healthy community vision, where health considerations are integrated into all aspects of recovery planning before and after a disaster, and funding streams are leveraged ...
S.W.A. Gunn , Multilingual Dictionary of Disaster Medicine and International Relief ( Dordrecht , The Netherlands : Kluwer Academic Publishers , 1990 ) . 2. P. Showalter and M.F. Myers , " Natural Disasters in the United States as ...
Experts assess the lessons learned from the most recent terrorist atrocities in terms of psychiatric interventions and sequelae.
Women Journalists at Ground Zero: Covering Crisis. NY:Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Terr, L.C., Bloch, D.A., Michel, B.A., Shi, H., Reinhardt, J.A., Metayer, S.A. (1999). Children's symptoms in the wake of challenger: a field ...
And if people are constantly focusing on safety, always trying to see where danger might present itself, they become more sensitized to possible threats, even if one isn't actually present. “Various things will then trigger them off and ...
Trauma and Its Wake:The Study and Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Edited by Charles R. Figley, Ph.D. 5. ... Coping with Infant or Fetal Loss:The Couple's Healing Process, By Kathleen R. Gilbert, Ph.D., and Laura S. Smart, ...