Section 7: Disaster Psychology

1. 1 Disaster Psychology

2. 2 Unit Objectives

   • Describe disaster and post-disaster emotional environment for survivors and rescuers
   • Describe steps rescuers can take to relieve their own stress and that of other survivors

3. 3 Unit Topics

   • Disaster Trauma
   • Team Well-Being
   • Working with Survivors’ Trauma

4. 4 Psychological Trauma

   • Your own personal losses
   • Working in your neighborhood
   • Assisting neighbors, friends, coworkers who have also been injured
   • Not feeling safe and secure

5. 5 Psychological Symptoms of Trauma

   • Irritability or anger
   • Self-blame or blaming others
   • Isolation and withdrawal
   • Fear of recurrence
   • Feeling stunned, numb, overwhelmed
   • Feeling helpless
   • Mood swings
   • Sadness, depression, grief
   • Denial
   • Concentration and memory problems
   • Relationship problems/marital discord

6. 6 Physiological Symptoms of Trauma

   • Loss of appetite
   • Headaches or chest pain
   • Diarrhea, stomach pain, or nausea
   • Hyperactivity
   • Increase in drug consumption
   • Nightmares
   • Insomnia
   • Fatigue

7. 7 Team Well-Being

   • Actions can be taken before, during, and after an incident to help manage emotional impact of disaster response work
   • Knowing possible psychological and physiological symptoms of disaster trauma helps manage impact
   • Learn to manage stress
     • CERT members for themselves
     • CERT leaders during response

8. 8 How You Reduce Stress

   • Get enough sleep
   • Exercise regularly
   • Eat a balanced diet
   • Balance work, play, and rest
   • Allow yourself to receive as well as give
   • Connect with others
   • Use spiritual resources

9. 9 Take Care of Yourself

   • Be aware of trauma that can follow a disaster
   • Explain to family members and friends what you need:
     • Listen when you want to talk
     • Don’t force you to talk

10. 10 How Team Leaders Reduce Stress

    • Brief CERT personnel beforehand
    • Remember CERT is a team
    • Rest and regroup
    • Take breaks away
    • Eat properly, stay hydrated
    • Arrange for debriefing
    • Rotate teams and duties
    • Phase out workers gradually

11. 11 Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

    • 1. Introductions and description
    • 2. Review of factual material
    • 3. Sharing of initial thoughts and feelings
    • 4. Sharing of emotional reactions to incident
    • 5. Instruction about normal stress reactions
    • 6. Review of symptoms
    • 7. Closing and further needs assessment

12. 12 Phases of a Crisis

    • Impact
    • Inventory
    • Rescue
    • Recovery

13. 13 Traumatic Crisis

    • Actual or potential death
    • Serious injury
    • Destruction
    • Loss of contact with family or close friends

14. 14 Effects of Traumatic Stress

    • Cognitive functioning
    • Physical health
    • Interpersonal relationships

15. 15 Mediating Factors

    • Prior experience with a similar event
    • Intensity of disruption
    • Individual feelings about event
    • Emotional strength of individual
    • Length of time since event

16. 16 Stabilizing Survivors

    • Assess survivors for injury or shock
    • Get uninjured people to help
    • Provide support by:
      • Listening
      • Empathizing
    • Help survivors connect with natural support systems

17. 17 How to Be an Empathetic Listener

    • Put yourself in the speaker’s shoes
    • Listen for meaning, not just words
    • Pay attention to nonverbal communication
    • Paraphrase the speaker

18. 18 Avoid Saying…

    • “I understand”
    • “Don’t feel bad”
    • “You’re strong” or “You’ll get through this”
    • “Don’t cry”
    • “It’s God’s will”
    • “It could be worse”
    • “At least you still have…”
    • “Everything will be okay”

19. 19 Managing the Death Scene

    • Cover the body; treat it with respect
    • Move the body to temporary morgue
    • Follow local laws and protocols
    • Talk with local authorities

20. 20 Informing Family/Friends of a Death

    • Separate the family member(s) or friend(s)
    • Have the person(s) sit down
    • Make eye contact
    • “I’m sorry, but your family member has died. I am so sorry.”
    • Let the family and friends grieve

21. 21 Unit Summary

    • Rescues may be unpleasant or uncomfortable
    • Psychological and physiological symptoms of trauma
    • Take steps to reduce stress
    • CISD is one intervention
    • Four emotional phases of a disaster
    • Stress affects cognition, health, and interactions
    • Stabilize individuals
    • Be an empathetic listener

22. 22 Homework Assignment

    • 1. Read unit to be covered in next session
    • 2. Bring necessary supplies to next session
    • 3. Wear appropriate clothes to next session

Course material: FEMA's CERT Basic Training (2019), in the public domain. For study only, not medical advice: in an emergency, call 911.