Psychiatry's Role in Trauma, Disaster Response Explored in Honolulu

Sessions Offered on Integrative Treatments for PTSD, Childhood Adverse Experience and Trauma 

Mental health workers who treat victims of mass traumatic events can experience psychological distress similar to those who experienced trauma themselves, according to researchers who will present a discussion at the Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

 

Several sessions promise to be especially relevant in light of the recent disasters in Japan. The presentation on vicarious trauma among mental health providers is one of several sessions addressing trauma and disaster issues in psychiatry. Other sessions look at resilience, risk and protective factors, and the impact of historical trauma.

The course Disaster Psychiatry: Readiness, Evaluation, and Treatment examines systems issues that affect psychiatric practice after a disaster. Copies of the course textbook have been donated to the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology as the APA continues its outreach and support for mental health needs of Japan. 

The APA’s 164th Annual Meeting will run Saturday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 18, at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.