Child Vulnerability and Mental Health Outcomes after Natural Disasters

Several different factors can contribute to how a person responds to a traumatic stressor and scientist and theoreticians have found other factors can determine individuals who are more likely to develop PTSD when exposed to a catastrophic event. These factors can include their past exposure to trauma, their mental health history, their families’ history of psychological problem, age, gender, biological makeup, social network, as well accessibility to mental health treatment facilities.

There were not adequate resources to address the mental health and well-being of individuals before, during, and after a major disaster. Even though the mobile units were activated and was able to determine a higher portion of children with preexisting medical conditions. Due to the lack of planning prior to the storm by healthcare officials, the healthcare system failed to provide adequate mental health care to the vulnerable population which resulted in long-term post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. They did not have enough resources to service all individuals. I think it was an unfortunate event that mental health was overlooked, especially for children in this vulnerable population. Mental health is important because most physical ailments can be cured, but it is difficult to cure someone from a mental health condition. It takes time and proper resources to help someone with a mental issue. It is understood that time was not in favor for these individuals struggling to combat Hurricane

It is normal, following a traumatic experience, for a person to feel disconnected, anxious, sad and frightened. However, if the distress does not fade and the individual feels stuck with a continuous sense of danger as well as hurting memories, then that person might in fact be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PSTD could develop after a traumatic incident which threatens one’s safety or makes one to feel helpless (Dalgleish, 2010). Coping with traumatic events could be very difficult, but confronting one’s feelings and seeking professional assistance is usually the only way to properly treat PSTD. Many kids and adolescents worldwide experience events that are traumatizing. If exposure to trauma is not treated, it could lead to various mental health problems. Researchers have reported a connection between traumatization and increases in mood and anxiety disorders, but the most frequently reported symptoms of psychological distress are post-traumatic stress symptoms (Cohen, Mannarino & Iyengar, 2011).

Understanding the psychological impact of this hurricane has taken place on some minor level of research, but the long lasting implications and effects are still under review. The mental health arena are still trying to get a grasp of the long term effects of the hurricane and more specifically what are the PSTD outcomes are for the inhabitants of these

This prevalence rate is considerably higher than that of the general population, therefore confirming the theory that trauma occurring in childhood has the ability to play a significant role in the development of mental illness. In addition to broad and generalized findings, they also found specific age groups to be related to specific forms of trauma in terms of what can result in the most detrimental effects. In relation to emotional abuse, it is considered most damaging at ages 6, 14, and 16. Sexual abuse is most harmful at age 12. Non-verbal abuse was found to be more detrimental at age 14 (Schalinksi, 2016). All of these findings also proved to be predictive of the development of PTSD as well as other mental illnesses, such as

This paper will define The Effects of Trauma and Crisis on Clients and Mental Health Counselors and give a brief overview on how these Natural and man-made disasters, crises, and other trauma-causing events have become a focus of the clinical mental health counseling profession. Due to the extreme trauma that children, adolescents and adult experience after a traumatic event it, is noted that most individuals that are exposed to traumatic experience usually develop major depression, generalized anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) later in

A study performed by Mary C. Waters called the The Resilience in Survivors of Katrina Project (RISK) project showed the psychological effects Hurricane Katrina had on 1,019 poor, young African American women who were single parents living in the New Orleans area when Katrina struck. The RISK project used information and surveys before Hurricane Katrina and after, with followups happening two different times after the hurricane, in order to evaluate physical and mental health. The goals of the RISK project included two major points: “to scientifically study the impact of the hurricane, the trauma that the mothers and their children experienced, and the effect of their

Also, like adults, they can recover just as easily with therapy sessions and techniques. This is just a preview of what kind of research is being done in order to combat this issue with adolescents that have PTSD. The next step into the paper is to show if children are more resilient than adults or how does PTSD affect the development of children’s mental and physical

Man-made and natural disasters are traumatic to both the client and to the counselor. Oftentimes, the counselor is also feeling the

The events that unfolded on September 11, 2001 (9/11) at the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City, had major repercussions on various levels. Its impact was not limited to structural and financial damage, but transcended to affect the emotional and mental stability of many people throughout the United States. Emergency preparedness protocols at the time of the events were insufficient considering the magnitude and the uncommon nature of the disaster. While structural damage was quantifiable, psychological implications were more complex to identify and consequently treat. Posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), is one of the most common mental health disorders that affects people exposed to traumatic disaster situations. The exposure may

The earthquake that rocked Kobe, Japan in 1995 veered Japanese culture into another direction in regard to mental healthcare. Remembered as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck # regions and claimed the lives of 6,400 (Baba et al.,1996). At least 55,000 people were placed in shelters, and among them included mothers, children, the elderly, and disabled (Baba et al.,1996). The demographics mentioned are specified because of research suggesting each group had pre-existing conditions or heightened stress that became exacerbated due to disaster-related trauma. As emotional suffering became so vast, many in positions of power could not overlook the emotional devastation caused by the disaster. However, they continued

In California, there are school programs that will help prepare the children for the disaster. Not just that, the program are placed to help them gain knowledge on the mechanism of natural disaster, to be specific an earthquake disaster. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Service (Cal OES) (2008), developed a program that

Trauma occurs when a child has experienced an event that threatens or causes harm to her emotional and physical well-being. Events can include war, terrorism, natural disasters, but the most common and harmful to a child’s psychosocial well-being are those such as domestic violence, neglect, physical and sexual abuse, maltreatment, and witnessing a traumatic event. While some children may experience a traumatic event and go on to develop normally, many children have long lasting implications into adulthood.

A news report on the mental health of Hurricane Katrina victims’ shows patterns in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast that are contrary to post traumatic stress disorder usually seen after major disasters. The mental health of Hurricane Katrina victims is worsening with the drawn out recovery time. The mental health of Hurricane Katrina survivors contains some surprising information. The study 's author says what 's going on in the Gulf Coast

Childhood is a time for playdates and learning, a time for big dreams and imaginary adventures. Safety and security should not be questions that linger in uncertainty. However, this is not the case for many children across the globe. Thousands of children from all walks of life each day are faced with unspeakable horror and must deal with the resulting trauma from then on. However, in children, managing this trauma takes a different toll on the mind and heart than it does in adults. While the type of trauma may vary in pervasiveness across countries, trauma occurring in childhood has the ability to cause long term damage to the growing neurological functioning in the brain and negatively influence children’s spiritual development, wounding