The Elements of Disaster Psychology: Managing Psychosocial Trauma, an Integrated Approach to Force Protection and Acute Care

This book is designed to aid in practical, day-to-day, on-the-scene disaster response and crisis intervention by all interveners. The elements are the basics of any discipline. Knowledge of them is critical to achieving success. The Elements of Disaster Psychology: Managing Psychosocial Trauma focuses on those basics that are needed by crisis and disaster responders in the field by providing an integrated approach to force protection and acute care. The presentation is ordered in such a way as to provide quick and easy access to the information needed from the initial deployment, to the final debriefing. The point of this approach is to help the reader accomplish what needs to be done and in the most expeditious and effective manner possible. This book will help responders to be effective when handling the psychosocial problems of victims and of responders as they present. It reflects what is known in the field without all the theory that often accompanies other texts. Much of the confusion about procedures and how to deal with crises has been eliminated. The lists, procedures, suggestions, and guidelines are field-tested and directly related to field situations. Those who want theoretical depth are guided to other sources in the bibliography that can provide such information. The table of contents is prescriptive in nature so that it can be used as a self-contained guide to disaster response. Two additional indices are included to help guide users to specific types of crises or to procedures and techniques and to the chapters of the book that are related. The book can be most appropriately used as a supplemental text in related emergency management, crisis intervention and disaster psychology classes, and it will also be appropriate for first and second responder training. The experienced disaster intervener can use this book independently in the field, in training and in the office.