Coping with Catastrophe: A Handbook of Disaster Management

Disasters strike with sudden violence, tearing bodies, lives and families apart. Coping with Catastrophe is a practical handbook for people who provide psychosocial aftercare for victims of disasters. Michael Stewart and Peter Hodgkinson are leading experts in the field of disaster aftercare, and this book is based on their unique and extensive experience, which includes the Bradford fire, the Zeebrugge disaster, the Lockerbie plane crash, and the Hillsborough disaster. Using survivors' own words, the authors provide a vivid and moving account of the experiences of survival and bereavement under different types of condition. They summarize the most up-to-date thinking about the psychological effects of disaster, and describe the therapeutic strategies available for treating victims with persistent problems, emphasizing the welfare needs of staff involved in rescue and support. They also discuss in detail, the practical aspects of co-ordinating disaster relief, such as the organization and planning of specific services like outreach facilities and crisis helplines after the event. Eminently practical and easy to read, Coping with Catastrophe provides readers with information and skills to respond effectively and confidently to the needs of disaster survivors.