E-Book Overview
In our increasingly dangerous worldAbrought into urgent focus by the September 11, 2001, attacksAthe need to manage the psychiatric consequences of traumatic events and disasters has never been greater. The editors of this powerful reference summarize our current understanding of the complex psychological, behavioral, and social responses to disaster, and present a compelling case for intensifying our focus on delivery and intervention efforts. In just five chapters, 16 distinguished contributors examine the impact of trauma from the personal to the community level. This critical book -reviews the neurobiologic and neuroanatomic responses to severe traumatic events, focusing on posttraumatic stress disorder to show how an initially adaptive response becomes maladaptive by producing long-term adverse consequences. -discusses the psychiatric epidemiology of disaster, presenting a guide for clinicians in identifying and following groups at high risk for developing psychiatric disorders and an empirical blueprint for developing community interventions. -details the impact of traumatic stressors on children, using the 9/11 terrorist attacks to illustrate many points and debunking the myth that children are more resilient than adultsAthus reinforcing their assertion that we need to improve the delivery of mental health services to traumatized children. -presents material from an international consensus conference on the psychological interventions following mass violence, reviewing the psychological impact of disasters (including risk and protective factors) and acute interventions for trauma (e.g., psychological debriefing, treatment of traumatic grief, pharmacotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and interventions for children). -concludes with the special dilemmas posed by weapons of mass destruction, including chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, and high-yield explosives, discussing the attributes that make these weapons especially effective as instruments of terror and offering recommendations on how nations can enhance preparedness against these weapons. This volume is a must-read for educators, students, residents, clinicians, and social workersAin short, anyone interested in helping to heal the psychological fallout from traumatic events and disasters.
E-Book Content
Trauma and Disaster Responses and Management
Review of Psychiatry Series John M. Oldham, M.D., M.S. Michelle B. Riba, M.D., M.S. Series Editors
Trauma and Disaster Responses and Management
EDITED BY
Robert J. Ursano, M.D. Ann E. Norwood, M.D.
No. 1
Washington, DC London, England
Note: The authors have worked to ensure that all information in this book is accurate at the time of publication and consistent with general psychiatric and medical standards, and that information concerning drug dosages, schedules, and routes of administration is accurate at the time of publication and consistent with standards set by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration and the general medical community. As medical research and practice continue to advance, however, therapeutic standards may change. Moreover, specific situations may require a specific therapeutic response not included in this book. For these reasons and because human and mechanical errors sometimes occur, we recommend that readers follow the advice of physicians directly involved in their care or the care of a member of their family. Books published by American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., represent the views and opinions of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the policies and opinions of APPI or the American Psychiatric Association. Copyright © 2003 American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Manufactured in the United States of America on acid-free paper 07 06 05 04 03 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition Typeset in Adobe’s