Browsing by Subject "Crisis Intervention"
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Item Understanding the Psychosocial Impact of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks: a Qualitative Analysis of Focus Groups(2013-01-17) Barney, Carissa Joy; North, Carol S., M.D., M.P.E.Much of the 9/11 mental health research to date has been focused on PTSD and posttraumatic stress symptoms. To better understand the broader experience of individuals following a disaster, exploratory focus groups were conducted with individuals from directly-exposed agencies and not directly-exposed agencies and Spanish- and Mandarin-speaking individuals being served by not directly-exposed agencies. Twenty-one focus groups with a total of 140 participants were conducted one to two years after 9/11. Transcribed focus group passages were coded into themes using qualitative analysis software. The five areas of concern identified in this study include the following themes: Disaster Experience, Emotional Sequelae, Workplace Issues, Coping, and Issues of Public Concern. The theme with the highest absolute number of passages for individuals from directly-exposed agencies was Emotional Sequelae. Issues of Public Concern was the theme with the highest absolute number of passages for individuals from not directly-exposed agencies, a Spanish-speaking focus group, and a Mandarin-speaking focus group. Most importantly, qualitative analysis of the content of discussion provided significant information about what was of greatest concern among directly-exposed and not directly-exposed focus groups and Spanish- and Mandarin-speaking focus groups following the 9/11 attacks. The variety of concerns discussed by participants across all groups highlighted both the unexplored and underexplored areas that may warrant future investigation as potential opportunities for development of post-disaster intervention. These concerns are much broader than simply PTSD or posttraumatic stress symptoms, which provides a different focus from that of most of the existing 9/11 mental health literature.Item Warning Signs for Imminent Risk of Suicidal Behavior: A Preliminary Investigation(2009-09-04) Womack, Jennifer Nicole; Casenave, GeraldApproximately one million individuals worldwide died from suicide in 2000 and estimates suggest that ten to twenty times more individuals attempted suicide (World Health Organization, 2005). The statistics for suicide rates in the United States are just as alarming for "each year in the United States approximately 30,000 lives are lost to suicide (CDC, 1999); yet this disturbing loss of American lives is preventable" (DeMartino et al., 2003). As such, this preliminary study aims to provide an initial investigation into the reliability and validity of the AAS Suicide Warning Signs to identify individuals at imminent risk for suicidal behavior. Although the results indicate a statistically significant correlation between one's suicidal risk and one's endorsement of the Warning Signs, possible confounding variables (such as past-week depression level) might play a role in explaining part of this correlation. Additionally, because statistical analyses suggest that one's endorsement of the Suicide Warning Signs as well as one's past-week depression level both significantly predict group status, there appears to be an interaction between depression and endorsement of the Warning Signs. In conclusion, although it is suggested that risk status and Warning Signs are correlated, this study barely tips the iceberg when it comes to research involving the identification of imminent risk. More research is essential in order to develop a better understanding of possible markers of imminent suicidal risk.