The toll that both natural and man-made disasters have on a community are truly devastating. However, when considering the emotional and psychological damage of the specified occurrences, one must mention children as the victims that suffer the greatest consequences. By promoting collaboration between parents, health providers, and community members, at large, one can introduce trauma-informed strategies allowing children to develop the strategies for overcoming their PTSD and avoid the related mental health issues.
The collaboration between parents and nursing experts, as well as other representatives of the healthcare industry, is central to supporting children who have suffered the outcomes of a natural or man-made disaster. Specifically, by supplying essential information about the child, including the emotional reaction, the symptoms, the unique background characteristics, and the related details, parents will offer experts the required data on which the further intervention can be built (SAMHSA, 2018). In turn, healthcare providers and nurses will instruct and educate parents on the means of supporting their children and assisting them in overcoming the trauma, as well as managing the associated mental health concerns (Zhang et al., 2021). The specified approach will also allow teaching children essential means of handling their emotional and psychological distress.
Similarly, the support of the community is crucial in the described scenario since it will allow creating a stress-free environment in which children can actively develop the appropriate skills despite the trauma suffered. Specifically, community members will have to remain informed regarding the unique needs of children with disaster-induced PTSD in order to align with the health management strategies such as CARES geared toward meeting emotional and psychological needs of the specified population (Chokshi et al., 2021). Thus, successful recovery from the mental health issues and psychological concerns caused by a disaster will be possible.
When considering the range of approaches that a pediatric expert can utilize to alleviate a child’s trauma caused by witnessing or being a victim of a disaster, one should focus specifically on the strategies built on patient education. By informing a child about the nature of their distress, a healthcare expert will guide the patient toward developing the strategies that will help them reconcile with their trauma and, in the long term, recover from it (Orengo-Aguayo et al., 2022). In addition, to minimize the neurobiological effects of the trauma and the accumulation of what Chokshi et al. (2021) referred to as “toxic stress” in the child, a healthcare expert should engage the family in the intervention and the recovery process actively (p. 3). The specified solutions are believed to guide the further development of resilience in the child and create a supporting environment in which a child can recuperate.
The process of providing a child with trauma-informed care post-disaster should take place as an education-based intervention involving the support of family members. Specifically, a child should be made privy to the nature and effects of their distress in a way that is palatable to their age. The specified process should take place in the form of an open discussion with the family (Sachdeva et al., 2022). Afterward, a healthcare expert should educate the patient and their parents about the subject matter. Finally, a patient will develop a unique approach to trauma management with the active assistance and support of a pediatrician (Chokshi et al., 2021). The specified framework will allow building patient agency and encourage their understanding of the issue.
References
Chokshi, B., Pletcher, B. A., & Strait, J. S. (2021). A trauma-informed approach to the pediatric COVID-19 response. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 51(2), 1-4. Web.
Orengo-Aguayo, R., Dueweke, A. R., Nicasio, A., de Arellano, M. A., Rivera, S., Cohen, J. A., & Stewart, R. W. (2022). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with Puerto Rican youth in a post-disaster context: Tailoring, implementation, and program evaluation outcomes. Child Abuse & Neglect, 129, 1-11.
Sachdeva, J., Nagle Yang, S., Gopalan, P., Worley, L. L. M., Mittal, L., Shirvani, N., Spada, M., Albertini, E., Shenai, N., Moore Simas, T. A., & Byatt, N. (2022). Trauma informed care in the obstetric setting and role of the perinatal psychiatrist: A comprehensive review of the literature. Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, 63(5), 485–496. Web.
SAMHSA. (2018). Disaster technical assistance center supplemental research bulletin: Behavioral health conditions in children and youth exposed to natural disasters. SAMSA.gov. Web.
Zhang, S., Conner, A., Lim, Y., & Lefmann, T. (2021). Trauma-informed care for children involved with the child welfare system: A meta-analysis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 122, 1-8. Web.