WASHINGTON - In an effort to bolster public resilience, the American Psychological Association (APA) created a task force on Promoting Resilience in Response to Terrorism, which just released a set of fact sheets on how psychologists can help a variety of populations - from young children to older adults to people with serious mental illnesses - become more resilient in handling the stress of terrorism and other disasters.
The task force, co-led by psychologists Ronald F. Levant, Ed.D., M.B.A., Dean and Professor at the Center for Psychological Studies at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Laura Barbanel, Ed.D., a clinician in private practice and former director of the school psychology program at Brooklyn College in New York and 14 other psychologists with both clinical and scientific backgrounds, was conceived of after September 11, 2001 and put into formal action in 2002.
The fact sheets contain specific information geared toward specific populations - adults, children, people of color, older adults, military families, adults with serious mental illness, primary care providers and disaster workers - on dealing with traumatic events.
"These fact sheets are a good way to help practicing psychologists improve their patients' resilience," said Levant. "They aim to help psychologists help their clients reduce the stress caused by the change in the world since September 11, which in some people has lead to a near chronic state of unease." The sheets are an excellent resource for psychologists to help prepare members of their community for the stress they might experience during a terrorist attack or disaster, added Levant.
"Because the fact sheets address a number of different populations, the information can go beyond a psychologist's practice and be helpful in the community," said co-chair Laura Barbanel. "The sheets can be used by psychologists or other mental health providers in a community setting to help people build their inner resources; to build resilience."
The fact sheets define resilience, discuss aspects of trauma exposure and provide mental health providers with population-specific tools to teach people how to build their resilience. For example, the fact sheet for adults suggests that psychologists advise people to "take a step back to address the problem, seek help from others and get involved in the community and help others."
Each fact sheet gives information on common responses to terrorism and stress for each client population to help mental health providers know what to expect, especially if they are called on during a crisis with unfamiliar groups. The fact sheet on working with older adults points out that these older adults are on average more resilient than other populations because of their life experiences of coping with many different crises and having a sense of personal mastery. This age group also tends to have a positive outlook and a good social network of friends and family. The sheet on working with adults with serious mental illness says that this population may be more vulnerable to the stress of a traumatic event because they are already struggling with high levels of trauma and usually lack support systems.
The Fact Sheets are available at Promoting Resilience in Response to Terrorism.
Additional resources on resilience can be found at the APA Help Center/Health and Emotional Wellness.
American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 155,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 53 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.