Five Essential Elements of Immediate and Mid–Term Mass Trauma Intervention: Empirical Evidence

By Stevan E. Hobfoll, P. Watson, C. Bell, Richard A. Bryant, M. Brymer, Matthew J. Friedman, Merle Friedman, B. Gersons, J. de Jong, C. Layne and 10 more. Psychiatry, 2007

1,320 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Given the devastation caused by disasters and mass violence, it is critical that intervention policy be based on the most updated research findings. However, to date, no evidence–based consensus has been reached supporting a clear set of recommendations for intervention during the immediate and the mid–term post mass trauma phases. Because it is unlikely that there will be evidence in the near or mid–term future from clinical trials that cover the diversity of disaster and mass violence circumstances, we assembled a worldwide panel of experts on the study and treatment of those exposed to disaster and mass violence to extrapolate from related fields of research, and to gain consensus on intervention principles. We identified five empirically supported intervention principles that should be used to guide and inform intervention and prevention efforts at the early to mid–term stages. These are promoting: 1) a sense of safety, 2) calming, 3) a sense of self– and community efficacy, 4) connectedness, and 5) hope.

Subfields: Clinical Psychology, Emergency Medical Services

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/e4328c801ba6d9df3adc8780a937e526d58c8014

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Clinical Psychology

1. G. Bonanno
2. Stevan E. Hobfoll
3. C. Brewin
4. K. Kaniasty
5. A. M. Greca
6. R. Pynoos
7. P. Watson
8. S. Clayton

In Emergency Medical Services

1. G. Bonanno
2. K. Kaniasty
3. S. van Buuren
4. Erica D. Diminich

Citations in the corpus

• Exposure to Political Violence and Political Extremism (2013, background): “, Foa & Rothbaum, 1998) and public mental health interventions (Hobfoll et al., 2007) that aim to increase traditional ‘buffers’ against psychological distress such”
• Hope and Anger as Mediators Between Collective Action Frames and Participation in Collective Mobilization: The Case of 15-M (2017, background): “Accordingly, Hobfoll et al. (2007) found that hope was crucial for achieving favorable recovery outcomes after trauma exposure and to forge resilience to adversity in the long term.”
• Review of VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline on management of acute stress and interventions to prevent posttraumatic stress disorder. (2012, methodology): “reviewed the literature on immediate and midterm interventions after mass-trauma events and found five principles to be well supported [15].”
• The psychological impacts of global climate change. (2011, background): “In the absence of clinical trials that cover the diversity of disaster circumstances, Hobfoll et al. (2007) identified empirically supported intervention principles to guide early to midstage intervention and prevention efforts, including promoting (a) a sense of safety, (b) calming, (c) a sense of…”
• Resource caravans and resource caravan passageways: a new paradigm for trauma responding (2014, background): “What appears to characterise traumatic resource loss is a rupture of the constellation of ¢ve principal resource groups: safety, calmness, attachment, hope, and e⁄cacy (i.e., the ability to a¡ect positive change) (Hobfoll et al., 2007).”
• Community identity and collective efficacy: A social cure for traumatic stress in post‐earthquake Nepal (2017, background): “Similarly a sense of social connectedness is believed to be central to successful support of those affected bymass trauma (Hobfoll et al., 2007).”
• A Bioecological Model of Mass Trauma (2011, background): “Recent guidelines for mass trauma intervention generated by a group of internationally recognized experts on trauma (Hobfoll et al., 2007) were an attempt to synthesize what is currently known in the mass trauma literature to inform “best practices.””
• Innovations in Disaster Mental Health: Psychological First Aid (2008, background): “…Josef Ruzek, Alan Steinberg, Eric Vernberg, and Patricia Watson. selection of PFA strategies and techniques: (a) promoting sense of safety, (b) promoting calming, (c) promoting sense of self- and community efficacy, (d) promoting connectedness, and (e) instilling hope (Hobfoll et al., 2007).”
• Weighing the Costs of Disaster (2010, background): “Hence, sensitive, thoughtful, and timely community-wide interventions designed to mobilize, maintain, and improve community resources at all times after disasters are essential (Hobfoll et al., 2007; Norris, Friedman, & Watson, 2002; Somasundaram, Norris, Asukai, & Murthy, 2003).”
• Exposure to Violence, Ethos of Conflict, and Support for Compromise (2017, background): “As postexposure distress can be reduced through treatment, development of effective risk communication strategies, and public mental health interventions (Hobfoll et al. 2007), these findings warrant rethinking intervention policies, which may facilitate more favorable views of future compromise.”