The case of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf

Coast of Southern Mississippi

EXAMPLES: Migrants crisis situations and

drowning in the Mediterranean

Earthquake in Chile,
17 September 2015

Taxi-related violence in Durban

Wildfires in California

Ongoing wars in Syria (started 2010) and the

rise of the Islamic State

HOW DO PEOPLE RESPOND TO SUCH CRISES?

Flight 1549, 15 January 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8itHvXd0oM

HOW DO YOU RESPOND IN A CRISIS SITUATION?

When individual life is threatened, or people
witness others affected by violent impacts /
others deaths they will be affected

Earthquakes
Tsunami
Fires
Floods
Droughts
Hurricanes / Typhoons
Tornadoes

Where are they most frequent?

The Pacific Ring of Fire

First responders (Triage) what would peoples

needs be / would there be any role for
counselling?
When and what sort of counselling is likely to be
needed?
And dont forget the workers e.g. paramedics,
rescue workers

The value of considering predisposing,

precipitating, maintaining and protective
factors, as a model

How might community psychology provide us

with some ideas?

A sustained period of very frightening storm and

then flooding in New Orleans (affecting hundreds
of thousands of people), and a tidal surge along
the Gulf Coast, destroying most buildings in a
two-kilometre stretch along a coast of about 100
Km
http://
www.livescience.com/11235-hurricane-katrina-h
istory-numbers.html

 http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2010/09/hurricane_katrinas_share
d_trau.html
http://ct.counseling.org/2012/01/hurricane-katrina-survivors-stillstruggling/

Needs to provide for peoples basic needs

c.f. Maslows hierarchy

Coping with intrusive memories / thoughts /

dreams / disturbed sleep
Working with re-constructing lives,
especially when life has changed
fundamentally (home, family, friends, work,
activities, physical health etc.)
Making new meaning / finding ways of
trying to make sense
Creative interventions (e.g. art, music,
drama therapies)
Group-work

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/expertadvice/probl
ems/ptsd/posttraumaticstressdisorder.aspx scroll down

What sorts of therapy are needed in South

Africa, as a legacy of the struggle?
One option is Eye Movement Desensitisation
and Reprocessing (EMDR) see
http://www.emdrassociation.org.uk/home/ind
ex.htm

Faust, D. S., Black, F. W., Abrahams, J. P., Warner,

M. S., & Bellando, B. J. (2008). After the storm:
Katrina's impact on psychological practice in New
Orleans. Professional Psychology: Research and
Practice, 39(1),1-6.
Akin-Little, A., & Little, S. G. (2008). Our Katrina
experience: Providing mental health services in
Concordia Parish, Louisiana. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(1), 18-23