The role of Psychology in emergencies and disasters

In our time, the effects of climate change and the high levels of pollution that industrial powers emit into the earth's atmosphere are causing negative consequences for the entire world population, such as strong waves, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters.

This provoked natural instability, added to the armed conflicts that take place in many regions of the world, such as the recent bombings in the Gaza Strip, alert us to a state of emergency not only medical but also psychological, giving rise to many disorders that can only be treated by mental health specialists.

Psychology in emergencies and disasters

The figure of the psychologist is one of the different professionals and specialists who intervene in disaster situations. The role or role that it fulfills within the team in charge of normalizing life in these scenarios is certainly cardinal, and It is for this reason that the presence of qualified mental health professionals is essential when addressing these phenomena. Through this writing we will define what is the psychology of emergencies and disasters, the fields of interaction, the techniques and the role of the psychologist.

This branch of psychology that studies the experiences and reactions of the person or groups of people before, during and after emergencies are experiencing a boom due to the need to cover these types of extreme situations with professionals prepared.

Defining Psychology in Emergencies and Disasters

In the book Public health manual, the authors define the Psychology of emergencies and disasters in this way:

"The Psychology of emergencies and disasters is the branch of psychology that encompasses the study of the behavior and reaction mode of individuals, groups or human collectives in the different phases of an emergency or disaster situation ”(Acevedo and Martínez, 2007).

Nowadays, this subdiscipline has expanded rapidly and it is becoming more and more necessary due to changes in all spheres, at a time where Natural disasters are frequent and armed conflicts affect many parts of the world. planet. There is no part of the world that is not shaken by some event that requires urgent assistance.

All these circumstances have made it essential in many countries to include mental health professionals in the intervention and rescue work groups, in order to intervene in any emergency that may introduce oneself.

Psychology in emergencies: fields of intervention

The psychologist who works in this field is related to all kinds of professionals, such as technicians, doctors, social workers, sociologists, engineers, rescue and aid entities such as the Red Cross, police, army, defense civil, etc. Likewise, this young branch of psychology is also closely linked with the other areas of the study of behavior and mental processes:

• Clinical psychology

• Educational psychology

• Health Psychology

• Psychophysiology

• Organizational psychology

• Social or community psychology

The contributions that the bidirectional relationship with the other branches of psychology enriches the work of the psychologist who works in emergency situations, combining the knowledge of different areas to be able to offer an urgent assistance service adapted to the complexity involved in these situations.

Psychology Intervention Techniques in emergencies and disasters

According to Acevedo and Martínez (2007), the techniques are as follows:

• Psychological first aid

• Intervention in grief situations

• Psychological demobilization techniques for the management of critical incidents

• Group therapeutic intervention for evacuees

• Community intervention techniques aimed at the recovery of networks and social support.

• Integration of first response teams participating in training programs, designing containment programs.

These are some of the many techniques that the psychologist uses to intervene. We must not forget that it will depend to a large extent on the field where the intervention takes place: in some situations it will be necessary to emphasize some points more than others.

Not all tragedies are the same, therefore it is not feasible to establish the same protocols for asymmetric situations. The action sheet will depend on the type of disaster, the behavior of the people who have been affected, the severity, and ultimately the casuistry of each intervention.

Role of the psychologist

The professional in this specialty of psychology must be psychologically and emotionally prepared to face the most varied contingencies. Some emergency psychologists warn that it is a specialty in which, beyond the great technical and mental preparation that it requires, a great vocation is essential. It must be admitted that not all psychologists are prepared to act and work under so much pressure and in situations of special vulnerability.

It should be remembered that the psychologist will deal with people with traumatic episodes that can generate states of anxiety, panic attacks, heartbreak... The goal of the professional is to regulate emotional and psychological crises both at the individual level and, on everything, at the level of the group in general that is in charge, which also implies excellence in time and resource management.

An interesting piece of information is that raised by Beltrán, Valero and García (2007), who cite in their book Professionals of psychology before the Disaster of Puertas (1997), author who affirms that the different aspects of the training and competences that a psychologist of emergency are:

• Social skills

• Communication techniques

• Knowledge about collective behaviors

• Technical knowledge of emergency intervention

The role of the psychologist is make people aware of their vulnerable states and examine the psycho-emotional impact of the disaster, creating an environment of protection and assistance, thus promoting a climate of trust in the person or group of people, and regulating the negative psychological reactions that occur in them.

There may be cases in which the professional will have to intervene with one of his colleagues or other team members assistance (medical, security, technical ...), because some type of negative reaction may also occur in them. planned. This circumstance is more common than you might think, and it attests that no matter how prepared professionals are, no one is immune from suffering a crisis.

Bibliographic references:

• Acevedo, G. and Martínez, G. (2007). Public Health Manual. Editorial Encuentro. Cordoba Argentina.
• García Redón, J., Gil Beltrán, J., and Valero, V. (2007). Disaster psychology professionals. Editorial Universitat Jaume I.