Children in Disaster Mental Health Curriculum. Curriculum Materials Build resilience in children and...
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Transcript of Children in Disaster Mental Health Curriculum. Curriculum Materials Build resilience in children and...
Children in Disaster
Mental Health Curriculum
Curriculum Materials• Build resilience in children and
families
• Understand the risk factors
• Comprehend the effects of terrorism on children
• Know the normal signs of stress in children developmentally
Providing Coping Skills
“What matters apparently, is not how individuals actually cope but rather how they perceive their capacities to cope and control outcomes.”Psychiatry Interpersonal and Biological Processes, “ 60,000 Disaster victims Speak: Part II. Summary and Implications of Disaster Mental Health Research” Fran H. Norris, PhD, Matthew J. Friedman, MD, PhD, and Patricia J. Watson, PhD, Vol. 65, #3, Fall 2002, p. 238-239.
BUILDING RESILIENCE
Resilience: “the ability to adaptwell to adversity,trauma, tragedy,
threats, or evensignificant sources of stress.”
Teaching Children & Teens to Adapt Well
1.Connections2.Helping Others3.Daily Routine4.Take a break5.Self-careAPA Help Center: Get the Facts: Psychology in Daily Life, A Guide for Parents and Teachers.
Teaching Children & Teens to Adapt Well, continued
6. Goal reaching7. A positive self-
view8. A hopeful outlook9. Self-discovery10.Change is
inevitable
APA Help Center: Get the Facts: Psychology in Daily Life, A Guide for Parents and Teachers, 12-11-2003.
The Effects KNOW THE ODDS!
• Did the disaster affect the child directly?
• How close was the child to the disaster scene?
• How are the child’s parents or other caregivers coping?
The Effects
• What gender is the child?
• Does the child have pre-existing risk factors?
• If the whole family was affected, are they accepting help?
Special Considerations
• Evacuation
• Child/parent reunification
• Shelter in place
• Isolation or quarantine
• Decontamination
• Dispensation site: – Vaccination /treatment
Developmentally Appropriate Outreach
• Children are not little adults.
• Delayed reactions
• Routine
• Referrals
UNDERREPORTING
• Parents and teachers underreport children’s internal experiences after a trauma.
• Encourage parents/ teachers to provide support by reflecting on the
–Experience
–Reminders
–Reactions
The Media
• Encourage families and schools to protect children/teens from contact with the media
• Discuss with parents the
impact that repeated
images of the event
have on children.
Responses to DisasterBehavioral
Emotional
Cognitive
Physiological
Remember that the reactions that you see within each of these categories are normal and temporary in the aftermath of a disaster.
Toddlers and Preschoolers Reaction reflects parents
Regresses developmentally
Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
Fears
Clingy behaviors/ separation anxiety
Exaggerated startle response
Ages five to eleven
Withdrawal Separation anxietiesNeeds more attention Decline in school performance Difficulty concentrating Somatic complaints – stomach aches
Heightened aggression/ temper outbursts
Ages twelve to fourteen
Sleep Disturbances -& other physical complaints
Appetite disturbance
Competes for attention
Deserts responsibilities
Withdraws- loss of interest
Resists authority
Turns to friends
Experiments with alcohol/drugs
Confusion/poor concentration
Feel guilt and helplessness
Minimize reactions
More risk-taking behavior
Separation anxieties
Overwhelmed by emotions, but unable to discuss with family.
Helping Children with Special Needs 3
–Visual
–Hearing
–Physical Limitations
–Severe Emotional
Disturbance
–Behavior disorders
Helping Children with Special Needs 2
–Autism
–Cognitive Limitations
–Learning Disabilities
Helping Children with Special Needs 1
• Triggers
– Special words– Images– Sounds
• Cues– Physical warning signs
National Association of School Psychologists: www.nasponline.org/NEAT/specpop_general.html
Helping Families with Injured Children
• Higher Risk for emotional problems
• Emotional Support
• Negotiating the system
Unattended Children
Definition
Higher emotional risks later
Safety
Anxiety
Abandonment
Reassurance Terrorism Events
• Kinds of events:– Terrorism Chemical Biological Radiological
Incendiary Nuclear (CBRIN)
• Terrorism is an unusual event• Regain sense of safety• Desensitization
Cultural Sensitivity
• Disability
• Language
• Ethnicity
• Norms and Values
Help for the Caregivers
When Do We Become Concerned?
Continuing problems
Signs to watch for
Stress or traumatic stress?
Mental Health Diagnosis
Warnings Signs – Longer Range
–Refusal to return to school–Clinging behavior–Persistent fears –Sleep disturbances–Loss of concentration–IrritabilityAmerican Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, “Helping Children After A Disaster,”, January 26, 2004.
www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/disaster.htm
Warnings Signs – Longer Range
–Behavior problems–Physical complaints–Withdrawal from family & friends
–ListlessnessAmerican Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, “Helping Children
After A Disaster,”, January 26, 2004. www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/disaster.htm
Supportive Activities
Group discussions
Puppet plays
Constructive writing
Community
involvement
Preparing Children for “Special” Events
Information– Age-dependent
– Accurate
– Appropriate
– Timely
Involvement– Age-dependent
– Promotes healing
– Respect child’s wishes
– Culturally appropriate
Preparing Children for “Special” Events
Hospitalization of family members
• Appropriate visitation
• Keep child involved in hospitalized family member’s life.
Reporting Requirements
• Report to your supervisor if you suspect:
–Child Neglect
–Child Abuse
–Domestic Violence
–Substance Abuse
Impact of Disaster
Positive actions with families can:
Reduce child abuse and neglectReduce domestic violencePromote understanding in differences in recovery time for peopleHelp families make positive changes in their living circumstancesIncrease recoveryHelp families understand that their reactions are normal.
Contact Information
Jenny WileyAssistant Coordinator, Disaster ReadinessDepartment of Mental Health1706 E. ElmJefferson City, MO 65102
573-751-4730Email: [email protected]