For example, a brief intervention that involves administration of a screening tool, a discussion regarding the issue, and provision of an informational handout may be all that is required, or a more advanced intervention provided by a specialist mental health clinician may be warranted. Assessment also provides clues about the most effective timing of intervention. In the post-disaster period, for example, when individuals are overwhelmed, a low intensity psychological intervention may best suit the disaster-impacted individual’s capacity to engage at that time. An improvement in the presenting problem or a settling of the individual’s circumstances may enhance motivation to engage in other, more intensive, interventions at a later date.
Service provision may be disrupted in the aftermath of disaster, and available services may be overwhelmed by demand. Health practitioners, even where they identify limitations to their competence, maybe the only available option for assistance. In this case, materials within the toolkit include a range of strategies of varying complexity for the practitioner to choose from. Some health practitioners may feel more confident offering behavioural strategies rather than, for example, trauma-focussed cognitive strategies that are best implemented by mental health practitioners who are competent in the use of cognitive therapy. Finally, ongoing assessment of the individual’s progress with the problem in question is vital, and health practitioners should be alert to the need to refer on should the limits of the support they can provide be reached.
Although the majority of disaster-impacted individuals will not experience a mood disorder, or episodes of suicidality, it is possible that some people will experience a deterioration in their mental state over time. Health practitioners are encouraged to be aware of available mental health services and referral options in their local area. General Practitioners are often an excellent source of support, both in terms of facilitating activation of mental health care plans and referral to specialist mental health providers, as well as being aware of available mental health services in the post-disaster period. Family members, friends, and telephone and web-mediated crisis support services may also offer assistance.
Finally, the use of the materials within the toolkits implies not only a start, but also a conclusion to the relationship between health practitioner and disaster-impacted individual. This may occur as a natural consequence of the resolution to the individual’s difficulties, or as a result of an identified need to refer to other health practitioners. Attention should be paid to the use of relapse management strategies and the importance of effective and appropriate termination strategies.
Sleep disturbances are common in the days and weeks after disaster, and may involve difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, as well as the experience of nightmares.
Find out moreAnger is common following disaster, and can be prompted by the perception of threat and feelings of injustice.
Find out moreMany individuals who have been through disaster will experience anxiety in the days, weeks and months afterwards. They may also experience anticipatory anxiety, in particular as anniversaries of disaster loom.
Find out moreSome people will develop ASD & PTSD following disaster, and it is important for clinicians to understand the role of avoidance in perpetuating these disorders.
Find out moreDisasters can be associated with losses, such as the death of family, friends, domestic pets and livestock, and the destruction of homes, possessions, community facilities and social connections.
Find out moreGambling is a salient recreational, although hazardous, activity in Australia, which has the highest levels of gambling expenditure per capita of any country in the world.
Find out moreWhen a person experiences disaster they may feel overwhelmed. Goal setting strategies can assist with regaining a sense of control.
Find out moreMany individuals report increased stress and tension after disaster, and may increase alcohol consumption in an attempt to cope.
Find out moreHuman beings need to understand their world and the events within them, and this is particularly the case for disaster events.
Find out morePeople can experience a range of negative emotions in the aftermath of disaster, including feelings of anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, shame, guilt, grief and loss to name a few.
Find out moreSome tips on how to managing pre-existing mental health conditions in disaster-impacted individuals.
Find out morePhysical activity is an evidence-based strategy for improving mental health outcomes, and reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Find out moreDisasters often impact a person’s life well beyond the event itself, and recovery often involves tackling many different problems.
Find out moreSleep disturbances are common in the days and weeks after disaster, and may involve difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, as well as the experience of nightmares.
Find out moreSocial support plays a vital role in the recovery journey for disaster-impacted individual, and is one of the best predictors of improved outcomes.
Find out moreWhile mental health support often focusses on the psychological functioning of the individual to generate change, when supporting children and families in the aftermath of disaster it can be helpful to consider the family as a system.
Find out moreWith the increasing frequency of cascading disasters there is a strong need to better understand how frontline workers can best support these communities and the unique challenges and barriers to recovery they face.
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