Hurricane Andrew hit the coast of Florida on the 24 th of August, 1992, and is considered to be among the most destructive natural disasters on U.S soil (Sales et al., 2005). The catastrophe rendered more than 175,000 residents homeless, and they were unable to attain essential services for extended periods of time. Most of the victims of the natural event were children who weathered the storm while within their collapsed homes. Undeniably, Hurricane Andrew was a frightful and stressful event for all that lived through it.
One of the psychological symptoms that hurricane Andrew victims, especially children, experienced is posttraumatic stress symptoms, including trauma-specific fears, recurrence fears, regressive behavior, externalizing symptoms, the reenactment of behavior, posttraumatic play, avoidance of traumatic reminders, anxiety, and others. This was showcased by a study that showcased that more than 89% of children that experienced Hurricane Andrew were rated in the moderate and severe to very severe categorizations on the PTSD index, thus showcasing high levels of continuous psychological distress in victims.
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Another psychological symptom that Hurricane Andrew victims experienced is depression. A myriad of research conducted has showcased co-morbid symptoms of depression in children, especially after natural disasters. For instance, the study by Navvaro et al. (2014) depicted that there was a high prevalence of posttraumatic symptoms, particularly depression, in children that experienced the Chilean earthquake and tsunami as well as those that experienced Hurricane Katrina. However, unlike PTSD, the study claims that depression has been associated with a myriad of factors, including levels of difficulty at home following the disaster, losing a member of family, and perceiving that one’s own life or those of family members were in danger. This is similar to children or individuals that experienced the impacts of Hurricane Andrew.
Significance of Recommendations Noted in Article
One of the recommendations by Mauro (1992) is to be prepared to offer formal mental-health services to individuals and families in need. Individuals under crisis require education about their present condition as well as the steps that they can undertake to decrease the damage. Similarly, the process entails offering support as it can significantly aid in reducing stress and thus improve coping. Active listening is crucial in conjunction with providing unconditional acceptance and reassurance (Cherry, 2020). Usually, providing this kind of support can be beneficial for those developing brief dependency on supportive individuals. In contrast to unhealthy dependencies, these kinds of connections help the person become more independent and be stronger. This particular recommendation regarding offering mental health services is significant because they help attain normalcy in the lives of those affected by the tragic events of the catastrophe.
Another recommendation is that people should offer early relief efforts by assisting individuals and families to obtain basic goods and services. This is supported by Brymer et al. (2006) as they sensitize people to offer psychological first aid such as calming and orienting emotionally-overwhelmed or distraught survivors, offering practical assistance and information to help survivors address their immediate needs and concerns, and supporting adaptive coping, acknowledging their strengths and efforts, and empowering them psychologically. This recommendation regarding offering early relief efforts is crucial because it not only aids in the emotional support of victims but also helps them to address their immediate needs and find services, information, and social support. Therefore, psychological first aid provides the initial foundation for helping those that have been affected by the crisis, especially in regards to their emotional and psychological states, as it ensures that they have the right state of mind to continue the healing process. Similarly, quick and effective psychological first aid can prevent or decrease instances of posttraumatic depression as it helps the victims in a myriad of ways such that the major sources of stressors are eliminated quickly.
Other recommendations offered by the article include encouraging people to become involved in collective self-help efforts, watching out for forgotten groups, educating the public regarding normal psychological functioning after the hurricane, and expecting pro-social behavior from the community in the weeks and months after Hurricane Andrew. All these recommendations are helpful and appropriate as they try to help the victims of the crisis in every means possible ranging from offering psychological help to helping them attain normalcy in their lives by offering financial support and relief services.
References
Brymer, M., Layne, C., Jacobs, A., Pynoos, R., Ruzek, J., Steinberg, A., ... & Watson, P. (2006). Psychological first aid field operations guide. National Child Traumatic Stress Network .
Cherry, K. (2020). How Crisis Counseling Can Help You with Traumatic Events. Retrieved the 27th of February 2021, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-crisis-counseling-2795060
Mauro, J. (1992). Hurricane Andrew’s other legacy. Psychology Today , 25 (6), 42-46.
Navarro, J., Pulido, R., Berger, C., Arteaga, M., Osofsky, H. J., Martinez, M., ... & Hansel, T. C. (2016). Children’s disaster experiences and psychological symptoms: An international comparison between the Chilean earthquake and tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. International social work , 59 (4), 545-558.
Sales, J. M., Fivush, R., Parker, J., & Bahrick, L. (2005). Stressing memory: Long-term relations among children’s stress, recall and psychological outcome following hurricane Andrew. Journal of Cognition and Development, 6(4), 529-545.
Shelby, J. S., & Tredinnick, M. G. (1995). Crisis intervention with survivors of natural disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Andrew. Journal of Counseling & Development, 73(5), 491-497.
