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GMS (German Medical Science) Psycho-Social-Medicine (p-s-m) is an open access e-journal, which publishes articles from the whole area of psychosocial research in medicine. It is edited on an interdisciplinary level by ten German scientific societies from the areas of behavioral medicine, medical psychology and sociology, psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and psychotherapy. P-s-m offers all scientists from the field of psychosocial medicine the possibility to publish their research online. Only high-ranking and quality reviewed articles are accepted for publication. All accepted articles are published in English. They are available online for anyone interested: immediately, permanently and free of charge at http://www.egms.de/ »»
The ESTSS thanks Stevan E. Hobfoll for permission to share the following articles, published in Psychiatry: Interpersonal & Biological Processes, volume: 70, Issue 4, 2007, pp. 283-315
Five Essential Elements of Immediate and Mid-Term Mass Trauma Intervention: Empirical Evidence
Stevan E. Hobfoll, Patricia Watson, Carl C. Bell, Richard A. Bryant, Melissa J. Brymer, Matthew J. Friedmann, Merle Friedmann, Berthold P. R. Gersons, Joop t. V. M de Jong, Christopher M. Layne, Shira Maguen, Yuval Neria, Ann E. Norwood, Robert S. Pynoos, Dori Reissmann, Josef I. Ruzeck, Arieh Y. Shalev, Zahava Solomon, Alan M. Steinberg and Robert J. Ursano
The article "Five Essential elements of Immediate and Mid-term Mass Trauma Intervention" is a key paper for mental health professionals, policy makers, decision makers, and others who are involved in crisis-management and preparations to cope with large scale traumatic events and disasters. Stevan E Hobfoll and all the famous co-authors have produced something that has been missing for a long time. They have provided evidence regarding various actions of support and counselling in situations of massive trauma, affecting many people and communities.
To create evidence in a field in which a lot of experiments have been performed and experience gained, but without direct research evidence for psychosocial interventions, demands a theoretical framework. The authors have provided a solution, which comprises an extrapolation of knowledge from related fields of research and a consensus from researchers and practitioners in the fields of trauma and disaster recovery. The authors also decided to identify foci that are best supported by the literature as promoting stress-resistant and resilient outcomes following exposure to extreme stress.
As a result, five evidence informed elements have been defined. These elements are empirically supported and should be used to guide and inform intervention and prevention efforts in the early to mid-term stages. The elements are:
- a sense of safety
- calming
- a sense of self- and community efficacy
- connectedness
- hope
Each of these elements is broadly supported with empirical data and research results. The elements apply to all levels of interventions and they will help in the process of setting policy and designing intervention strategies. They broaden primary and secondary prevention possibilities, inform psychological first aid and community support and consider much more than just effective clinical interventions for survivors who develop PTSD. By doing so a large number of individuals could be accessed.
The authors believe that there are many ways to operationalize these principles and that they should be applied in careful designs, that must be appropriate for the local culture, location and type of trauma. The authors argue for the need to research and test interventions with these elements. Finally they argue for modesty regarding the potential for interventions to have a long-term impact on symptomatology. They warn against overestimation of the effects and state that these principles will not lead to a one-treatment-fits-all approach.
The paper represents a challenge for all professions within the disaster-field and serves to encourage a discussion on standards and procedures for helping victims of large scale events. This is started by the ten accompanying commentaries listed below.
John A. Fairbanks and Ellen T. Gerrity - "Making Trauma Intervention Principles Public Policy" [113kB} 
Fran H. Norris and Susan P. Stevens - "Community Resilience and the Principles of Mass Trauma Intervention" [143kB]
Beverly Raphael - "The Human Touch and Mass Catastrophe" [154kB].
Lars Weisæth, Grete Dyb and Trond Heir - "Disaster Medicine and Mental Health: Who, How, When for International and National Disasters" [138kB]..
David M. Benedek and Carol S. Fullerton - "Translating Five Essential Elements into Programs and Practice" [119kB]..
Patricia A. Resick - "Whose Role Is It Any Way?" [116kB].
Michael Blumenfield - "The March Toward Evidence Based Criteria for Mass Trauma Intervention" [107kB].
Farris Tuma - "Mass Trauma Intervention: A Case for Integrating Principles of Behavioral Health with Intervention to Restore Physical Safety, order and Infrastructure" [127kB].
Norman Jones, Neil Greenberg and Simon Wessely - "No Plans Survive First Contact with the Enemy: Flexibility and Improvisation in Disaster Mental Health" [120kB].
Brian W. Flynn - "A Sound Blueprint for Building Stronger Home" [133kB].
All commentaries appreciate the outstanding quality of the article, they value the large number of authors, their honesty about the limits of the evidence base and the promotion of the idea to open access to intervention for more individuals, who are not patients but affected people, who are in need of help. Nevertheless each commentary raises a number of questions, critical remarks and concerns, which are thoughtfully discussed using research evidence and experience.
Treating traumatic stress: conducting imaginal exposure in PTSD (clinician manual & DVD, new edition)The Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH) has released a new edition of our internationally endorsed training package, Treating traumatic stress: conducting imaginal exposure in PTSD. This package is used in the training program of the National Center for PTSD, US Department of Veterans' Affairs. Now with an easier-to-use manual and accompanying DVD, the training package provides health practitioners with the knowledge and skills they need to confidently use imaginal exposure. The manual includes key learning activities and the DVD includes therapy demonstrations. More information: http://www.acpmh.unimelb.edu.au »
Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress DisorderThe Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH) published the Guidelines in 2007. Approved by the National Medical Health and Research Council, these new Guidelines assist health practitioners to determine when is the right time for professional intervention and what is the best approach for helping people affected by trauma.
More information: http://www.acpmh.unimelb.edu.au »
J. P. Wilson, C. C. So-Kum TangCross-Cultural Assessment of Psychological Trauma and PTSD
2007. 410 p.; GEB; Englisch
Springer, Berlin, 2007 »
Michael Linden, Max Rotter, Kai Baumann et al.Posttraumatic Embitterment Disorder Definition, Evidence, Diagnosis, Treatment
2007. 155 p. 24 cm; GEB; Englisch
Hogrefe-Verlag, 2007 »
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