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World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine: Psychosocial Task Force—Alert and Impact

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Gloria R. Leon*
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Ann Masten
Affiliation:
Professor and Director, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Patricia Frazier
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abi Gewirtz
Affiliation:
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Research Associate, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
John Hubbard
Affiliation:
Director of Research, Center for Victims of Torture, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Louis M. Najarian
Affiliation:
Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
Shabtai Noy
Affiliation:
Clinical and School Psychologist Jerusalem, Israel
Heather Mortensen
Affiliation:
Graduate Student, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
*
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E. River Road N438, Elliott Hall, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA

Extract

The Stage of Alert refers to the time period leading up to a disaster or terrorism event, usually defined by warnings disseminated by the federal government about increased risk of a disaster or terrorism situation. The general consensus was the need for more accurate information from appropriate governmental agencies to the public about specific impending threats, to ensure better coping. The purpose of providing this information to the public is to avoid panic or inertia, and to encourage normal adaptive reactions. It is important for people in positions of leadership to realize that past experiences have shown that panic has not occurred if people were given accurate information about the anticipated threat and specific guidelines about what to do.

Type
Position Statement
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2003

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