Physical & Mental Health

  • Follow all event-specific guidelines during and after an event regarding boiling water advisories, food safety and cleaning up contaminated materials
  • Mental and emotional phases of a disaster:
    •  Pre-disaster
      • Length – from a few minutes to months long, if known threat
      • Feelings of fear, uncertainty and vulnerability
    • Impact
      • Shortest of disaster phases
      • Range of intense emotions including shock, panic, confusion, disbelief
    • Heroic
      • Occurs after disaster strikes
      • Rescue efforts driven by adrenaline
    • Honeymoon
      • High emotions that last for few weeks
      • Community bonding, optimism and opportunity to assist others
    • Disillusionment
      • Length – lasts for months or years, can be triggered by anniversary of event
      • Feelings of discouragement, stress, exhaustion, abandonment, and possible lead to substance use
    • Reconstruction
      • Begins one year after event and may last for years
      • Sense of recovery and responsibility to rebuild life, adjust to new normal and continue grieving
  • Mental and emotional recovery:
    • Help from friends and family
    • Creative outlets like writing and art
    • Healthy lifestyle through proper diet/sleep/exercise, avoiding alcohol and drugs
    • Support groups for current or former substance abusers
  • Children, those with existing mental health conditions or prior trauma survivors, and first responders and recovery workers are most affected

Children

  • Observe any changes in attitude or behavior
    • Pre-schoolers - thumb sucking, bedwetting, attachment anxiety, changes in sleep patterns, changes in appetite, new fear of the dark, seemingly withdrawn
    • Elementary schoolers - anger, irritability, attachment anxiety, not wanting to go to school, attention issues, seemingly withdrawn
    • Adolescents - changes in sleeping/eating patterns, irritability, increase in issues with others, excessive complaints of physical ailments, rule breaking, attention issues
  • Support their emotional and psychological needs
    • Set calm environment where they feel comfortable talking about recent event or expressing themselves through writing and drawing
    • Be an empathetic listener, do not judge
    • Limit media coverage exposure
    • Return to normal daily routine
    • Recognize and discuss people’s resiliency, compassion and humanity
    • Do something positive together to help others in need