Psychological Phases of Disaster Response and its Effects on Individuals and Communities
Assignment Phases of Disaster Response
The purpose of this assignment is to examine the psychological phases of disaster response and how these are uniquely experienced by affected individuals and communities. Through the course materials, we have learned that psychologically processing disaster events generally follows a predictable set of phases. Although this is not always the case, these phases are the norm versus the exception in disaster behavioral responses.
For this assignment, briefly explain the five commonly accepted psychological phases of disaster responses. As a reminder, these include (1) the pre-disaster phase, (2) the hero phase, (3) the honeymoon phase, (4) the disillusionment phase, and (5) the reconstruction phase.
After providing a review of the phases noted above, examine individual and community responses to a disaster event of your choice, provide a summary of the psychological phases of disaster response displayed in the example.
Explain, with detail, how the selected phase(s) is appropriate to describe the observed behavior(s) from the example.
Close your work with a discussion of the role of cultural competence during any of the phases of psychological disaster response and how such awareness might affect the actions of behavioral health professionals as psychological first aid (PFA) is implemented.
Work should be submitted in a Word document (doc. or docx.) or other compatible word processing document (.rtf), and be 4 to 6 pages in length, excluding the required title and reference page.
Scholarly sources should be cited both in-text and on the reference page of the submission. A minimum of four academic, scholarly sources are required to be cited in the work, 3 of which must be peer-reviewed journal articles. Course materials may not be used to meet the peer-reviewed journal article requirement.
Submissions should be formatted per APA standards. Headers are required throughout the submission. For assistance and resources on APA formatting style, contact the APUS library and/or the APUS writing center.
The basic parts of a paper should also be included; these are the introduction section, with a precise thesis statement, the body of the paper with clear, discernable headings formatted to APA style levels of heading where appropriate, and a conclusion that restates the thesis and summarizes the major points of the entire paper.
Disaster Response: Psychological Phases of Disaster Response
Student’s Name
Department, Institutional Affiliation
Course Number and title
Instructor
Date
Disaster Response: Psychological Phases of Disaster Response
A disaster can be defined as an event that can cause a lot of loss or damage. In most cases, it can be extremely destructive and unpredictable. The increasing damage has pushed disaster experts to develop a cycle of phases that can enable individuals, organizations, and communities that face a disaster to maneuver and come out of it successfully easily (Nazer & Xue, 2017). They help them rebuild a new life after the impact caused by it. The first disaster managers can experience various difficulties and reactions from the affected community. The identification of the phase is significant in the delivery of good results. Each phase requires a different solution and resources to resolve. The five disaster psychological phases include the pre-disaster phase, the hero phase, the honeymoon phase, the disillusionment phase, and the reconstruction phase.
The pre-disaster phase is mainly characterized by unpredictability and fear. Most people at this time are not sure of how to react or deal with the situation. The particular reaction depends on the intensiveness and type of tragedy they are encountering. The face might take a different time before it ends, depending on the event. For instance, it can last for hours or even minutes in situations like terror attacks and months or years in states like a pandemic. In cases where disasters do not have prior warning, leading to feelings of insecurity and vulnerability, most people experience such a loss of control and the ability to rescue themselves and their families. On the flip side, prior warning events make people regret and be guilty due to the lack of best action of blocking the disaster.
Second, the hero phase is part of the disaster psychological phase. The phase occurs at the time of impact. Also, it has shocked people who need shelter, food, and water—the greater the scope of destruction, the higher the psychological and emotional impact on the victims. Nazer and Xue (2017) say that low life-threatening disasters have different psychological impacts than dangerous and rapid ones. Due to the loss and grief among the people, there is a sense of heroism where people respond from nobleness in helping others. There are a lot of donations and care to meet the dire needs of individuals. Further, the phase reveals responders willing to invest much of their energy in ensuring properties and lives are saved. The important phase resources include neighbors, emergency teams, friends, and families that are at the scene and can offer themselves for the sake of humanity.
Additionally, the honeymoon phase occurs a few days after the disaster. It can be weeks, months, or years after the disastrous event. At this moment, the survivors and loved ones start to feel relief, and all that matters is they are alive. The community has the sense of surviving together and can deal with the rest later (Nazer & Xue, 2017). The public officials and other emergency teams started receiving praises for the good job they did during the pandemic due to being moved with the event. Moreover, the people start receiving many promises of how to avoid the disaster from re-occurring and what they will receive as individuals and families. For this reason, the expectation management for both the responders and the victims regarding the assistance they will get is vital. The major resources of response are newly formed and newly formed groups in the community.
Also, the disillusionment phase is part of the psychological response. At this stage, reality sets in suddenly; the insurance companies try to avoid liability towards the disaster, the government sets assistance conditions, and the organizations and media houses start to pull out of the scene (Kilic, 2019). The survivors start having a feeling of anger, bitterness, and resentment because they are no longer a priority. Most of the victims complain of failures, unfulfilled and delays of promises. Moreover, they start losing hope in external help from the ...