Skip to Main Content

Website Sign In

Disaster Psychology Preparedness

When disaster strikes, physical assistance may not be only part of what survivors need. Psychological First Aid for disaster-induced stress and trauma will help the survivors.

Disaster-induced stress and trauma are "normal reactions" to an "abnormal" event.

Emotional Reactions

Emotional reactions will vary and may be influenced by:

Prior experience with the same or similar event
The intensity and length of the event
Pre-incident stressors
The length of time since the event
Loss of loved ones, housing etc.

Emotional reactions can vary depending upon the phase of the event, review the following examples of reactions:

Before the event, as concern escalates and information is made available through the media and the authorities
During the event's impact - responding to the immediate effects of the disaster
Immediately after the event's impact when rescue may be needed
Immediately after the event when an inventory is made of losses - personal and material
Well after the event during recovery

Traumatic Stress Reactions

A traumatic stress reaction is an emotional aftershock of a disaster or other significantly stressful event. Symptoms may occur immediately after the event or weeks after the event is over.

Common Signs/Symptoms of Emotional Reactions

[{"WidgetSkinID":57,"ComponentType":0,"FontFamily":"","FontVariant":"","FontColor":"","FontSize":0.00,"FontStyle":0,"TextAlignment":1,"ShadowColor":"","ShadowBlurRadius":0,"ShadowSpreadRadius":0,"ShadowOffsetX":0,"ShadowOffsetY":0,"ShadowInset":false,"Capitalization":0,"HeaderMiscellaneousStyles1":"","HeaderMiscellaneousStyles2":"","HeaderMiscellaneousStyles3":"","BulletStyle":0,"BulletWidth":2.00,"BulletColor":"","LinkNormalColor":"","LinkNormalUnderlined":false,"LinkNormalMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkVisitedColor":"","LinkVisitedMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkHoverColor":"","LinkHoverUnderlined":false,"LinkHoverMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkSelectedUnderlined":false,"ForceReadOnLinkToNewLine":false,"DisplayColumnSeparator":false,"ColumnSeparatorWidth":0.0000,"HoverBackgroundColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientDirection":0,"HoverBackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"HoverBackgroundImageFileName":"","HoverBackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"HoverBackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"HoverBackgroundImageRepeat":0,"HoverBorderStyle":0,"HoverBorderWidth":0,"HoverBorderColor":"","HoverBorderSides":15,"HoverBorderRadiusTopLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"HoverBorderRadiusTopRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"HoverBorderRadiusBottomRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"HoverBorderRadiusBottomLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"SelectedBackgroundColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientDirection":0,"SelectedBackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"SelectedBackgroundImageFileName":"","SelectedBackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"SelectedBackgroundImageRepeat":0,"SelectedBorderStyle":0,"SelectedBorderWidth":0,"SelectedBorderColor":"","SelectedBorderSides":15,"SelectedBorderRadiusTopLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"SelectedBorderRadiusTopRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"SelectedBorderRadiusBottomRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"SelectedBorderRadiusBottomLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"HoverFontFamily":"","HoverFontVariant":"","HoverFontColor":"","HoverFontSize":0.00,"HoverFontStyle":0,"HoverTextAlignment":0,"HoverShadowColor":"","HoverShadowBlurRadius":0,"HoverShadowSpreadRadius":0,"HoverShadowOffsetX":0,"HoverShadowOffsetY":0,"HoverShadowInset":false,"HoverCapitalization":0,"SelectedFontFamily":"","SelectedFontVariant":"","SelectedFontColor":"","SelectedFontSize":0.00,"SelectedFontStyle":0,"SelectedShadowColor":"","SelectedShadowBlurRadius":0,"SelectedShadowSpreadRadius":0,"SelectedShadowOffsetX":0,"SelectedShadowOffsetY":0,"SelectedShadowInset":false,"SpaceBetweenTabs":0,"SpaceBetweenTabsUnits":"","Trigger":4,"AnimationId":"a2285d72-065d-491c-96e5-1cdc1194f291","AnimationClass":"animationa2285d72065d491c96e51cdc1194f291","ScrollOffset":50,"TriggerNameLowerCase":"scroll","ParentComponentWithTrigger":null,"BackgroundColor":"","BackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","BackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","BackgroundGradientDirection":0,"BackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"BackgroundImageFileName":"","BackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"BackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"BackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0,"Unit":0},"BackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"BackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"BackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0,"Unit":0},"BackgroundImageRepeat":0,"BorderStyle":0,"BorderWidth":0,"BorderColor":"","BorderSides":15,"BorderRadiusTopLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"BorderRadiusTopRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"BorderRadiusBottomRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"BorderRadiusBottomLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"MarginTop":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginBottom":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingTop":{"Value":1.5000,"Unit":0},"PaddingRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingBottom":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MiscellaneousStyles":"}\n.widget.skin57 .semanticList {\npadding-top:5.6em;\n}\n@media (max-width:40em) {\n.widget.skin57 .semanticList {\npadding-top:0em;\n}","RecordStatus":0},{"WidgetSkinID":56,"ComponentType":0,"FontFamily":"","FontVariant":"","FontColor":"","FontSize":0.00,"FontStyle":0,"TextAlignment":1,"ShadowColor":"","ShadowBlurRadius":0,"ShadowSpreadRadius":0,"ShadowOffsetX":0,"ShadowOffsetY":0,"ShadowInset":false,"Capitalization":0,"HeaderMiscellaneousStyles1":"","HeaderMiscellaneousStyles2":"","HeaderMiscellaneousStyles3":"","BulletStyle":0,"BulletWidth":2.00,"BulletColor":"","LinkNormalColor":"","LinkNormalUnderlined":false,"LinkNormalMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkVisitedColor":"","LinkVisitedMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkHoverColor":"","LinkHoverUnderlined":false,"LinkHoverMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkSelectedUnderlined":false,"ForceReadOnLinkToNewLine":false,"DisplayColumnSeparator":false,"ColumnSeparatorWidth":0.0000,"HoverBackgroundColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientDirection":0,"HoverBackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"HoverBackgroundImageFileName":"","HoverBackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"HoverBackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"HoverBackgroundImageRepeat":0,"HoverBorderStyle":0,"HoverBorderWidth":0,"HoverBorderColor":"","HoverBorderSides":15,"HoverBorderRadiusTopLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"HoverBorderRadiusTopRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"HoverBorderRadiusBottomRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"HoverBorderRadiusBottomLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"SelectedBackgroundColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientDirection":0,"SelectedBackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"SelectedBackgroundImageFileName":"","SelectedBackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"SelectedBackgroundImageRepeat":0,"SelectedBorderStyle":0,"SelectedBorderWidth":0,"SelectedBorderColor":"","SelectedBorderSides":15,"SelectedBorderRadiusTopLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"SelectedBorderRadiusTopRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"SelectedBorderRadiusBottomRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"SelectedBorderRadiusBottomLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"HoverFontFamily":"","HoverFontVariant":"","HoverFontColor":"","HoverFontSize":0.00,"HoverFontStyle":0,"HoverTextAlignment":0,"HoverShadowColor":"","HoverShadowBlurRadius":0,"HoverShadowSpreadRadius":0,"HoverShadowOffsetX":0,"HoverShadowOffsetY":0,"HoverShadowInset":false,"HoverCapitalization":0,"SelectedFontFamily":"","SelectedFontVariant":"","SelectedFontColor":"","SelectedFontSize":0.00,"SelectedFontStyle":0,"SelectedShadowColor":"","SelectedShadowBlurRadius":0,"SelectedShadowSpreadRadius":0,"SelectedShadowOffsetX":0,"SelectedShadowOffsetY":0,"SelectedShadowInset":false,"SpaceBetweenTabs":0,"SpaceBetweenTabsUnits":"","Trigger":4,"AnimationId":"a2285d72-065d-491c-96e5-1cdc1194f291","AnimationClass":"animationa2285d72065d491c96e51cdc1194f291","ScrollOffset":50,"TriggerNameLowerCase":"scroll","ParentComponentWithTrigger":null,"BackgroundColor":"","BackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","BackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","BackgroundGradientDirection":0,"BackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"BackgroundImageFileName":"","BackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"BackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"BackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0,"Unit":0},"BackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"BackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"BackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0,"Unit":0},"BackgroundImageRepeat":0,"BorderStyle":1,"BorderWidth":3,"BorderColor":"#2f7a8e","BorderSides":4,"BorderRadiusTopLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"BorderRadiusTopRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"BorderRadiusBottomRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"BorderRadiusBottomLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":1},"MarginTop":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginBottom":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingTop":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingBottom":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MiscellaneousStyles":"}\n\n.skin56 .cpCarousel .cpSlider li:after { bottom: 0;}\n\n.skin56 .cpCarousel .cpWindow { padding: 10px 0;}\n\n\n\n@media (max-width:45em){\n\n.skin56 .cpCarousel .cpWindow{\nmargin:0 auto!important;\nmax-width:75%;\n}\n","RecordStatus":0}]