Responding to Emergencies, Disasters and Infectious Diseases
Emergencies, disasters and infectious diseases, like any life stressor, challenge the way people cope. Whether one learns about them on television or experiences them personally, one can feel upset, fearful and anxious as a result, both for one’s own personal safety as well as that of one’s family, friends and community. Stressful events can also bring up feelings and memories of previous traumatic events thereby compounding the distress that people feel.
In light of this, the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and its Executive Staff have been involved in various emergency preparedness planning activities, as well as in the development of various emergency preparedness resources.
On this page you will find a number of resources – some authored by the CPA and some by other agencies – specific to help you cope with and respond to various types of emergencies, disasters and tragic events.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- “Psychology Works” Fact Sheet: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPA, August 2020)
Responding to Stressful Events
- Violence, Stress and Coping (CPA, November 2015)
- Self-care for Caregivers
- Helping Children Cope
- Helping Teens Cope
- Taking Care of Ourselves, Our Families and Our Communities
- Building Your Resilience (APA)
- Providing Psychosocial Support: Tips for Leaders and Health Care Staff
Shootings and Terrorist Acts
- Managing your distress in the aftermath of a shooting (APA)
- Managing stress: Coping with terrorism (APA)
Fires
- Tips for managing your distress related to the wildfires (APA)
- Recovering from wildfires (APA)
- Recovering emotionally after a residential fire (APA)
H1N1 and Pandemic Influenza
- Information for Canadians (June 2009)
- Information for Health Providers (December 2009)
Floods
- Coping with Concerns Following a Flood (CPA)
- A Flood… Of Emotions (Kansas State University)
- Flood of Emotions… Will It Ever End? (Kansas State University)
- A Flood of Emotions – When Crisis Becomes Chronic (Kansas State University)
- Emergency Preparedness and Response: Floods (CDC)
- Manage flood-related distress by building resilience (APA)
- Coping with Floods (Project Recovery Iowa)
- Coping with the Aftermath of a Flood (Project Recovery Iowa)
- Flood Aftermath: Helping Your Children (Project Recovery Iowa)
- Strengthening your emotional well-being ahead of the flood (APA)
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
SARS
Disaster Resources for Health Care Providers Who Care for Seniors
Natural disasters and human-caused catastrophes negatively and disproportionately affect older adults. Two new resources are available – free and on-line – for health care providers, teams, and organizations that provide services to vulnerable older adults. These resources target the needs of older adults who are frail and those who have dementia, including nursing home residents.
- Special Concerns of Older Adults Following a Disaster (APA)
- Recovering Emotionally from Disaster (APA)
- Recovering Emotionally from Disaster (also available in French) (Red Cross)
- Psychologist Maggie Gibson, co-chair of the International Working Group on Seniors and Disasters: Health Care Providers and Continuity of Health Services (sponsored by the Public Health Agency of Canada Division of Aging and Seniors), recently led the development of a four-module e-learning resource titled Frailty, Dementia and Disasters: What Health Care Providers Need to Know. The objectives of this user-friendly training resource are to raise awareness of: the disproportionate vulnerability of older adults who are frail and those who have dementia in emergencies and disasters; the components of the emergency management cycle and how they apply to this population; best practice resources; and the role of health care organizations and providers in emergency management for older adults who are frail and who have dementia. The e-learning resource (in both English and French) is available with open access at: www.dementiaknowledgebroker.ca/emergency-management.
- Nursing home residents are at particular risk for experiencing adverse outcomes after disasters because of mental health problems or compromised physical health status. Because nursing home residents usually do not stay in public shelters and are evacuated to other facilities where they can receive needed skilled nursing care, residents typically do not have interaction with responders and relief workers who provide psychological first aid. To address this gap in care, the Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide for Nursing Homes, funded by Psychology Beyond Borders, was developed by Psychologist Lisa Brown and colleagues for nursing home staff to use with residents. Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide for Nursing Homes, Second Edition is now available from the University of South Florida. The second edition, like the first, reflects a multidisciplinary approach to care. Changes made to the new edition broaden the scope of how, when, and where the intervention is applied. Three new sections have been added: palliative care and end-of-life issues; behavioral interventions for people with dementia; and use of psychological first aid to help older adults deal with significant life changes, events, or losses. To download a copy, visit: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330938602_Psychological_First_Aid_Field_Operation_Guide_for_Nursing_Homes_Second_Edition
Resources on Psychosocial Planning During Emergencies
- Moving Mental Health into the Disaster-Preparedness Spotlight
- Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings
- Mental Health and Mass Violence: Evidence-Based Psychological Intervention for Victims/Survivors of Mass Violence (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002)
Canada’s Pandemic Influenza Plan
- Lessons Learned Review: Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada Response to the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic, is now available along with a Management Response and Action Plan outlining initiatives to address the recommendations of the review. Both documents can be accessed at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/about_apropos/evaluation/evaluation-eng.php (January 2011)
- Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology also tabled its 15th Report, Canada’s Response to 2009’s H1N1 Influenza Pandemic (January 2011)
- Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector (2006)
- Letter to Prime Minister from Mental Health Support Network (January 2007)
- Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector: Pandemic Influenza Psychosocial Annex (June 2009)
- The Role of Emergency Social Services in Planning for Pandemic Influenza in Canada
Canada’s Federal Emergency Response Plan
- Federal Emergency Response Plan (January 2011)
- Federal Emergency Response Plan (December 2009)