Disaster is a natural or human-made event. It causes severe damage to both human beings and the environment. The psychological and social issues caused by disasters generally go beyond the coping capacity of the affected community.
The intensity of the impact, damage created, and assistance required are the indicators that suggest whether any impact (natural or human-made) is a disaster. For example, an earthquake with large magnitude that happens in a desert cannot be termed as a disaster. If it occurs in a place where people live, it is said to be a disaster.
Disaster experiences vary from individual to individual. The severity is influenced by the type of loss and exposure, emotional or physical closeness of the individual with the disaster, pre-existing vulnerabilities, his/her coping strategies and community resources. The interaction between the individual and environmental factors over the timespan shape experiences of the survivors who are directly affected or the care providers who involve in the rescue/relief operations.
The impact caused by any disaster can be broadly classified into following domains;
These impacts are interconnected. Therefore, caregivers need to understand the connection between these impacts and to normalise it through psychosocial support.
PSFA is a humane, supportive and practical assistance provided to a person immediately after a disaster. It involves providing support, assessing needs and concerns, helping people to meet basic needs, listening, comforting people and helping them to feel calm, helping people connect to information, services and social support and protecting people from further harm.
World Health Organization (WHO) has given following four first aid strategies to guide the caregivers to deliver their service effectively.
Last Modified : 11/21/2023
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