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Community Disasters, Psychological Trauma, and Crisis Intervention
Joseph A. Boscarino, PhD, MPH1,2,3*
1Center for Health Research, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, PA, USA
2Department of Psychiatry, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
3Departments of Medicine & Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA
Abstract
The current issue of International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience is focused on community disasters, the impact of trauma exposure, and crisis intervention. The articles incorporated in this issue include studies ranging from the World Trade Center disaster to Hurricane Sandy. Drawing on the lessons learned from previous studies related to public attitudes and beliefs about disease outbreaks, the impact of volunteerism following the World Trade Center attacks, alcohol misuse among police officers after Hurricane Katrina, posttraumatic stress disorder after Hurricane Sandy among those exposed to the Trade Center disaster, compassion fatigue and burnout among trauma workers, crisis interventions in Eastern Europe, and police officers' use of stress intervention services. While this scope is broad, it reflects the knowledge that has emerged since the Buffalo Creek and Chernobyl catastrophes, to the more recent Hurricane Katrina and Sandy disasters. Given the current environment, psychologists, social workers, and other providers need to be aware of these developments and be prepared to mitigate the impact of psychological trauma following community disasters, whether natural or man-made.
