Running head: MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 1

Mental Health Services

Mikayla Brian, Carolyn Durrans, and Abigail Hansen

Nurs323
Running head: MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 2

Mental Health Services

Many people are affected when disaster strikes. Survivors, rescuers, and families can all

struggle with mental health when dealing with traumatic events. The following provides a

summary of what mental health services may be available to all those who may be in need.

Families

Families are often the people who are left to grieve and mourn, usually for extended

periods of time, when a person who once played a role in their daily life is suddenly gone.

Because of this, family members need emotional and physical care, as well as social support

(NASP). Emotional care can consist of one-on-one grief counseling to openly express feelings

and get professional advice while having someone lend an open ear. Physical care may include

meeting with a doctor for medication treating prolonged depression and anxiety. Social support

can be found through local or national online support groups such as The Compassionate Friends

or Our House Support Group. Through connecting with others, it is easier to feel less alone in the

grieving process. There are events, such as the Run for Hope, that allow people in similar

situations to come together and connect, share, lean on each other, and give back to others in

need (Our House). Local health care professionals can offer assistance, including information

about events in every city and referrals to grief management.

Rescuers. Rescuers often experience traumatic and terrifying events. While providing their

services and rescuing others, their assistance will often come at the price of their own well-being

and mental health. This is why it is so important to have services available to the heroes of our

day and time. There are several mental health services that aid in the treatment of post-traumatic

stress disorder - the first being psychotherapy. Forms of psychotherapy include cognitive

behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and cognitive processing therapy. These all help to reduce
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the frequency and intensity of stress reactions. Rescuers, depending on their situation and

severity of disease process, should also be prescribed medicine to lower anxiety and depression.

Lastly, support groups can allow rescuers to gain confidence and cope with current symptoms

and stressors. These groups are led by medical professionals and provide needed support.

(Mental Health America, 2017)

Survivors. Survivors are perhaps the ones who deal with the most trauma. They were

impacted by the disaster firsthand. They could have seen their life flash before their eyes,

watched others lose their life, and consequently have those images running through their minds

over and over again. Many survivors experience posttraumatic stress disorder, which is

characterized by any individual who has had exposure to a trauma severe enough to be outside

the range of normal human experience. (Varcarolis, 2017) There are many therapeutic mental

health services that can assist the survivor in dealing with this posttraumatic stress. These include

psychotherapy, family therapy, vocational rehabilitation, relaxation techniques, learning skills,

psychoeducation and methods to help obtain control of thoughts and feelings, and group therapy

with others who have shared similar experiences. It is important to focus on abreaction, or the

release of repressed emotions, as well as survivors guilt or shame, anger, and helplessness when

helping these individuals cope. (Varcarolis, 2017)

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References

Bethesda. (2016). NASP: The National Association of School Psychologists, care for caregivers
tips for families and educators. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from
https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-
crisis/care-for-caregivers-tips-for-families-and-educators

The Compassionate friends. (2017). Family support. Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
https://www.compassionatefriends.org/find-support/family-support/

Brandman, S. (2017). Grief resources, our house support center. Retrieved October 25, 2017,
from http://www.ourhouse-grief.org/grief-pages/death-of-a-parent/adult-death-of-a-
parent/

Mental Health America (2017). Post-traumatic stress disorder. Retrieved from

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder

Varcarolis, E. M. (2017). Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: a communication

approach to evidence-based care, 3rd edition. [Pageburst]. Retrieved from
https://pageburstls.elsevier.com/#/books/9780323389655/