The Disastrous Effects of Disasters - Essay Example

?Homeland Security Natural and man-made disasters cause untold damage to property, and in many instances, they may even cause loss of life. People cope differently after the occurrence of a disaster (FEMA, 1994). The disastrous effects of disasters are what necessitate error-free emergency management plans. The disasters that cause loss of life are especially hard to deal with for both the response and disaster victims. Most response plans contain details of how the response team should act in order to minimize the damage and bring the situation to normalcy. However, there are very few response plans that actually touch on how to handle psychological challenges of dealing with loss of life. It is important for response team members to consider these psychological challenges and ways by which the response team can deal with them (Middleton, and Raphael, 1990). The response phase of any emergency plan normally starts with search and rescue activities; however, the focus normally shifts to the fulfillment of basic human needs for the affected individuals. This kind of services may be provided by the local response team but if the disaster is too big, then external assistance may be required. At this stage it is crucial to think about the damage, both physical and psychological that the victims may be forced to face (FEMA, 1994). Most organizations normally have detailed response plans that address the emergency situation and offer help to people who are affected. Although these response plans are normally drawn to include every aspect of assistance that might be needed, there are aspects of response that are rarely addressed (Middleton, and Raphael, 1990). These aspects include the psychological challenges that many people face when dealing with the loss of life during and after a disaster incident. Psychological Challenges of Dealing with Loss of Life Most disasters normally strike unexpectedly, but when they do, they normally leave huge amounts of destruction. The worst kind of destruction happens when human life is involved. For most people witnessing the death of another can be quite a devastating experience (Zhang and Zhong, 1991). Loosing a loved one in a natural or even manmade disaster also has the same, if not worse, effects on the survivors. These are the psychological complications that accompany most disaster incidences. If these psychological challenges are not addressed early enough, it would be quite an uphill task trying to get things back to the way they originally were (Lystad, 1990). Mental trauma is one of the most common psychological challenges that responders have to deal with as they assist survivors to disaster. The mental trauma may cause individuals to have long term stress and difficulties in adjusting to the situation. This is especially true for individuals who may have witnessed the loss of life during the disaster. Grieving is natural reaction to personal loss. People grieve differently after they experience loss, however some people who might not know how to handle their loss might succumb to Post Traumatic Stress Disorders, depression and anxiety (World Health Organization, 1989). These are some of the psychological challenges that response team members have to deal with especially when a disaster leads to the loss of lives. How to Deal With Stress after a Disaster Psychological first aid is an important aspect of any response plan following a fatal disaster. Members of the response team need to be rained on how they can offer first aid to victims before they carry out any other response activities. Psychological first aid means that the response officers should offer food water and shelter using the most compassionate means. Efficient communication is vital in offering psychological first aid as it helps calm the nerves of survivors who may have witnessed the death of loved ones or people they knew. People should also be made aware of any counseling services that are available (Yule, 1994). It is important that the response team members should engage in risk communication. People are generally vulnerable to fear and panic during and after disaster related emergency situations that also involve loss of lives. Witnessing death may have considerable effect of an individual’s mental well-being. To mitigate instances of panic and fear among survivors of a disaster, there is need to provide assistance and consultation services during the whole crisis (Lechat, 1990). The response team should have a spokesman who is well trusted by the public and who can communicate any information about the situation on the ground. The information provided should be as honest as possible. Giving accurate unexaggerated information to the public has been evidenced to reduce stress and panic (American Psychological Association, 1996). Responders to a disaster need to be trained in psychological interventions to help victims cope with the situation better. The members of the response team should be trained on the different ways that they can help disaster victims move on with their lives. More often than not, people who have had to experience loss of life during a disaster may suffer from mental trauma, and this may affect how they continue living after that (World Health Organization, 1989). It is important therefore that the responders should have proper training on how to deal with mental trauma within an organization. It is difficult to get people to get used to accept that the disaster caused some loss of life. However, well trained responders have the ability to calm down the survivors and even create hope or dispel the sense of desolation that normally accompanies any disaster situation (Kohn and Levav, 1990). Individuals working in disaster response teams need to be aware of the cultural mores and differences among survivors. One of the main psychological challenges of dealing with loss of life during disasters is the cultural aspect of it (Marsella, Friedman and Gerrity, 1996). In many organizations, there is likely to b people from different ethnic and social backgrounds. All of them have their own unique way of dealing with stress and trauma. Members of the disaster response team need to be sensitive to each individual’s reaction to the disaster (Zhang and Zhong, 1991). Well intentioned response activities may not yield the expected results if they do not take into consideration the cultural influence of the people’s trauma or grief. In order to understand what the survivors are really going through, it is important to communicate with them openly. The responders should give the survivors a chance to say how the tragedy of loosing people they know is affecting them and what their current fears are. It is only through this kind of candid information sharing that responders are able to formulate ways of dealing with the psychological challenges of dealing with loss of life (Labrido-Ignacio and Perlas, 1996). It is important for the response team members to identify those individuals who are most affected and plan appropriate interventions for them. Some people react more violently to disasters than others. Responders need to formulate interventions that will effectively deal with the reactions of each individual. These interventions may include individual and group counseling and therapy. There is also need for support at all levels of the organization’s management. The responders should provide information about the psychological impacts of a disaster on employees and the steps being taken to deal with the problem. This way, the managers in the organization will be able to offer the help they can to help their people get over the traumatic experience (Meichenbaum, 1995). Another way of dealing with psychological complications that come during and after a disaster is to engage the survivors in activities that can facilitate the healing process. Such activities should be structured in a away that removes focus from the negative impacts of the disaster to ways in which people can learn from their experiences. These activities help in the healing process as they encourage individuals to talk about their experiences and what they feel. They also promote positive coping skills that are needed by the survivors (American Psychological Association, 1996). Peer support is very important at this point, and engaging the survivors in self-healing activities will also facilitate peer support. During such activities, it is important for the responders to emphasize on resiliency. Survivors who are having trouble coping with loss of life following a disaster should be made to understand that they are strong enough to cope with the situation instead of letting it eat into their lives (Lystad, 1990). Conclusion The effects of a disaster can leave long lasting trauma among survivors. Dealing with such stress can be quite difficult for the response team members whose main duty is to bring the situation under control. Bringing things under control involves trying to get things back in order. This means that among the most important things that responders have to do is to comfort the survivors and help them get over the disaster so that they can move on with their lives. Dealing with people under high levels of distress is never the easiest thing, but it can be done through proper training, understating and patience. People who are affected by a disaster that causes loss of life may have many psychological problems as they try to comprehend the situation. It is the work of the response team members to ensure that these individuals move away from seeing themselves as victims and instead they should be encouraged to think of themselves as survivors. Moving away from the victim mentality to the survivor mentality helps people affected by disasters to cope much better with the situation. This kind of positive attitude also enables the people to move ahead with their lives without having mental reminders of the devastation they went through. When individuals stop thinking of themselves as victims, they can help others do the same. References American Psychological Association. 1996. Managing traumatic stress: Tips for recovering from disasters and other traumatic events. Washington, DC: Author. FEMA (1994) Community Emergency Response Team: Participant Handbook. A FEMA publication with Emergency Management Institute and the National Fire Academy. FEMA Workbook for developing an application for crisis counseling services for disaster victims. FEMA. Kohn, R. and Levav, I. (1990). Bereavement in disaster: An overview of the research. International Journal of Mental Health, 19: 61-76. Ladrido-Ignacio, L. & Perlas, A.P. (1996). From victims to survivors: Psychosocial intervention in disaster management in the Philippines. International Journal of Mental Health, 24: 3-51. Lechat, M.F. (1990). The public health dimensions of disasters. International Journal of Mental Health, 19: 70-79. Lystad, M. (1990). United States programs in disaster mental health. International Journal of Mental Health, 19: 80-88. Marsella, A.J., Friedman, M.J. & Gerrity, E.T. (1996). 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