Psychosocial Intervention and Practical Experience in Children and Adolescent before and after a Disaster.

Abstract

Evidence-based studies have begun to identify the most promising interventions for use with disaster survivors. Interventions are provided in a staged sequence across a timeline. Relationship among agencies associated with a disaster, training professionals and prepared programs for disaster will be needed in pre-disaster stage. After a disaster, children’s mental health needs range from support utilizing psychological first aid to psycho-education. The skills for psychological recovery, trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy, and cognitive behavioral intervention for trauma school will also be needed when children and adolescents keep suffering from various psychiatric symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, depressive mood, re-experience, and so on. Evaluation and consideration of the developmental needs of children and adolescents, as well as the needs of parents, families, and schools is also important. Domestic standardization of intervention and psychotherapeutic treatment should be performed for more effective interventions for a disaster in Korea.