Disaster Recovery Processes

 

Outline

Part A

-Identifying and explaining, with detail, a disaster response phase

-Selected a disaster, within modern-day events; and describing the selected psychological phase of disaster response exemplified in the chosen disaster

Part B

-Biological or chemical disasters

-Discussing the phenomenon and how effective disaster behavioral health methods can be used to mitigate the strain on resources in disaster response circumstances when such presentations emerge

Part C

-Discussing the roles of risk and protective factors in disaster resilience as they are advanced in resiliency theory

-Explaining the most notable differences that might be observed in disaster response situations by behavioral health providers applying ideals of resiliency theory

-Personal thoughts on whether resiliency theory offers an enhanced approach to disaster recovery for most communities

Part D

-Discussing the concept of the social support network and its importance to the larger community following a disaster event

-The benefits of the social support network compare to those of the social support seen at the individual level

 

References

• A list of references resourced/used in this paper

Part A

Experts in disaster fields acknowledge five main psychological phases of a disaster likely to occur (Korman, Goldberg, & Klein et al., 2019). The phases vary in intensity and length depending on historical elements, the type of disaster, vulnerability, available resources, and extent of physical damage. The five phases are the initial impact phase, heroic phase, the honeymoon phase, disillusionment phase, and reconstitution phase. This segment focuses on the heroic phase, whose characteristics differ from the other four stages. The heroic phase is characterized by high altruism among emergency service providers, victims, and survivors. Emergency responders responsibly begin or initiate rescue services, resource mobilization, direct assistance to victims, among other humanitarian services. Also, Korman et al. (2019) argue that the heroic phase experiences victims and survivors struggle to live and begin life afresh. 

According to Bernstein and Pfefferbaum (2018), the primary goal of the heroic phase is to "prevent excessive loss of lives and property damage" (p. 5). An example of a modern-day disastrous event that best describes the heroic phase is Hurricane Katrina that struck the southern regions of the United States in late August 2005. The tropical cyclone and its devastating aftermath killed more than 1,800 people and left thousands more homeless. Hurricane Katrina goes into books as one of America's worst modern-day tragedies. The heroic phase of the disaster began on September 2, when authorities established the military's presence in New Orleans. Also, the National Guard troops initiated the mobilization of food and water to help the victims.

 

References

Bernstein, M., & Pfefferbaum, B. (2018). Posttraumatic Growth as a Response to Natural

Disasters in Children and Adolescents. Current Psychiatry Reports, 20(5), 1–10.

Korman, M. B., Goldberg, L., & Klein, C. et al. (2019). Code Orange: A Systematic Review

of Psychosocial Disaster Response. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 34(s1), s69–s70.

 

Part B

Children are potential targets and victims of biological and chemical terrorism. In the last few years, reports from various places in the world have been potential victims in terror activities, for example, the chlorine chemical attacks of 2017 and 2018 in Syria (Tournier, Peyrefitte, & Biot et al., 2019). There is a need by those in authority to adequately prepare for chemical and biological terror activities, particularly to children's needs. Also, a wide range of public health initiatives has been put in place since the September 2001 attack in the United States. According to Erwin and Dacso (2018), public health readiness has widened to accommodate an all-hazards strategy. Response models for terror activities are blended with unplanned outbreaks or disasters. Examples include artificial catastrophes and natural events such as natural disasters, hurricanes, or chemical spills. Nonetheless, in most instances, existing initiatives do not effectively ensure tamperproof protection of children. As a practical response to emerging concepts and programs that have metamorphosed over recent years, there is a need to continuously publicize policies that explicitly elaborate the role of pediatricians and public health bodies in disastrous events (Tournier et al., 2019). Various events such as the 1995sarin attack in Tokyo illustrate existing realities that domestic and international chemical and biological terrorism can occur, with devastating impacts on children. Despite the challenges and subsequent policies, there is a need to highlight increasing preparedness, disaster behavioral health methods continuously, and awareness within efficient response mechanisms to mitigate terrorism acts of chemical terrorism in the age of strained resources.

 

References

Erwin, C., & Dacso, S. (2018). Ethical and Legal Issues in Bioterrorism Events. Journal of

Biosecurity, Biosafety and Biodefense Law, 9(1), 170–.

Tournier, J., Peyrefitte, C. N., & Biot, F. et al. (2019). The threat of bioterrorism. The Lancet

Infectious Diseases, 19(1), 18–19.

 

Part C

Protective factors are attributes that statistically associate themselves with a decrease in the vulnerability to health risks such as substance abuse or violence (Parker, 2020). Resilience denotes an individual's ability to remain healthy despite existing risk factors. Collectively, protective factors seek to minimize risk factors and improve protective elements in human life spheres. The resiliency theory of prevention emphasizes the collective role of protective and risk factors. Prevention for individuals and groups is primarily an issue of increasing protective factors, that is, by creating resilience and decreasing risks amongst people and the environment.

Risk factors do not necessarily impact unhealthy behavioral elements. Therefore, Parker (2020) posits that it is not necessary to prevent all risks related to certain behavioral health situations to "prevent the subject conditions" (p. 8). Prevention studies help behavioral health providers better understand the risks associated with disease prevention, injury management, among other social and health ills. Additionally, Lee (2019) indicates that the resilience theory helps correctly explain the conditions that health providers can invoke when protecting children from existing risk factors. I believe the resiliency principle offers an improved strategy to disaster recovery for most communities because, for example, children exposed to risks must not be necessarily destined for a life of violence and drug abuse. Most of the affected children emerge relatively healthy and productive. Therefore, protective factors effectively buffer and balance risk factors and minimize vulnerability in children (Lee, 2019).

 

References

Lee, D. W. (2019). Local government's disaster management capacity and disaster

resilience. Local Government Studies, 45(6), 803–826.

Parker, D. J. (2020). Disaster resilience - a challenging science. Environmental

Hazards, 19(1), 1–9.

 

Part D

Petros and Solomon (2020) indicate that social support is a fundamental aspect of disaster recovery processes. Friends and family members emerge as important resources in disaster recovery networks that form foundational backgrounds in the larger community following disastrous events. Disastrous moments, for example, earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, and transportation accidents, are ideally sudden, unexpected and overwhelming to most people. For many, there are outwardly recognizable signs of social and physical injury and can simultaneously post emotional tolls on the victims. However, the concept of social support offers reliable emotional and social support to the victims by strengthening ties and networks. Social cohesiveness provides an explicit understanding of the subject disaster by "establishing responses" that help victims effectively cope with the situations (Lee, Benedict, & Jarvis et al., 2020, p. 450). Also, the concept of social support networks places the victims in better positions of reach by humanitarian groups and rescue teams. Lastly, within social support groups, victims enjoy the privilege of accessing socio-emotional aspects such as shared feelings, counseling services, health care, behavioral modeling, and spiritual growth to help to cope on the path towards recovery. 

The benefits of social support networks compare favorably to those at an individual level. For example, while victims at individual levels are likely to be bombarded by stress and loneliness in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, those within social support networks are likely to resume functioning due to collective response abilities quickly. Secondly, people within social support networks are better placed to communicate their experiences and abilities, thus fastening the recovery process (Petros & Solomon, 2020). Although an individual may be well-experienced, individually initiating and handling a recovery process calls for more time and resources. 

 

References

Lee, S., Benedict, B. C., & Jarvis, C. M. et al. (2020). Support and barriers in long-term

recovery after Hurricane Sandy: improvisation as a communicative process of resilience. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 48(4), 438–458.

Petros, R., & Solomon, P. (2020). Examining Factors Associated With Perceived Recovery

Among Users of Wellness Recovery Action Plan. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 43(2), 132–139.