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About SARBC
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CIS - Helping Adolescents cope with Disaster
AND ADOLESCENTS (12 - 18 YEARS)
A major disaster may have a number of effects on adolescents in this age group, depending on the extent to which it disrupts the family and community. In addition to stimulating fears about their own vulnerability and the possible loss of their family, it may also threaten their growing independence because of the family's need to pull together. According to Farberow and Gordon, trouble signs to watch for in pre-adolescents and adolescents include: withdrawal and isolation, physical complaints (headaches, stomach pain, loss of appetite), depression, sadness, tension, suicidal thoughts, antisocial behaviour (stealing, aggressive behaviour, acting out), school problems (avoidance, disruptive behaviour, academic failures), sleep disturbances (sleeplessness, night terrors, withdrawal into heavy sleep), and confusion. Most of these changes in behaviour are temporary and disappear within a short period. When these persist, they are readily apparent to he family and to teachers, who should respond quickly. Teenagers who appear to be withdrawn and isolated, and who isolate themselves from family and friends, are experiencing emotional difficulties. They may be concealing fears they are afraid to express, for adolescents have a great need to appear competent to the world around them. They are struggling to achieve independence from the family and are torn between the desire for increased responsibility and the more dependent role of childhood. Adolescents often show their emotional distress through physical complaints, as do many adults.
Adolescents are extremely vulnerable when they lose loved ones and possessions. As a result of a disaster, they can be suddenly thrust into an adult role. Older adolescents may have to become the head of the household and provide increased financial or emotional support at a time of family crisis. As with adults, adolescents need to give themselves permission to grieve. Information on loss and grieving, and on support measures that family members, friends, and schools can offer is helpful in facilitating the expression of grief by adolescents. Self-help groups led by counsellors familiar with the grieving process have also been successful in helping adolescents express and cope with the intense emotional reactions associated with the death of a parent or close friend.
Threats or attempts to injure or kill oneself are not uncommon among adolescents, and any indication of suicidal feelings must be taken seriously. The most frequent motivation is loss of close family or friends. Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness are strong indicators of potential suicide, expressed verbally or non-verbally through behavioural signs (withdrawal, antisocial behaviour, loss of interest, apathy and agitation), physical symptoms (sleep and appetite disturbances), and cognitive process changes (perceived loss of alternatives, poor judgement and reasoning ability). Evidence of caring and concern are the most immediate and effective ways workers can help. In general, however, any person with suicidal thoughts should be referred for professional help. A trouble sign that requires immediate attention is confusion (regressive behaviour, inappropriate feeling, immobilization), and generally implies a deep-seated disturbance that should probably be referred to a mental health professional. Behavioural problems (vandalism, stealing and aggressiveness) have been reported in some communities following a disaster. This type of behaviour may be the reaction of an adolescent with low self-esteem. A major problem for adolescents following a disaster is the boredom and isolation from peers that comes from disruption of their usual activities in school, on the playground, and from family relocation. Teenagers are most affected by these long periods of separation as they tend to lean more on each other and less on their family for emotional support. Ways to counteract boredom and separation include:
If adolescents are separated from friends and peers during the summer holiday period or for a few months, it is helpful to arrange for them to meet in the previous neighbourhood, school, or community facility for dances, sports, and social functions. Such activities are an excellent way for teenagers to maintain contact with friends displaced by the disaster.
Teenagers, 12 - 15 years old, find it easier to relate to each other than to adults. Self-help groups organized after the Barrie and Edmonton tornadoes showed these pre-adolescents gained a lot from a group experience in which they could talk openly and honestly about their feelings after a disaster. Such groups enable them to express their fears in front of their peers once they are reassured that having fears and anxieties is normal and that other teens (even the most confident appearing ones) also have these feelings. Self-help groups function well when:
The Tornado Community volunteers was a group organized for teens aged 12 to 14 following the Barrie tornado of May 1985. Their motto reflected their enthusiasm and determination: We fought back! The volunteer group met three times a week for nine months. Led by a child care worker and a recreation specialist, the teens were taught, through the use of various recreational, social and self-help activities, to work through many of their disaster-related feelings. The various activities encouraged them to move from feelings of powerlessness to ones of control, from feelings of insecurity and fear to ones of confidence, and from feelings of anger, anxiety, and guilt to ones of mastery and acceptance. Social activities focussed on the needs and desires common to children of these ages and included cooking, movies, listening to music, hobbies, crafts, games, dances, bowling, hayrides, sleighrides, and carolling. Leaders provided opportunities for the expression of feelings through photography, drama and other art forms; interaction with fellow victims (tree planting); and visits to residents of a nursing home struck by the tornado; and discussion groups. Information and discussion activities that promoted a sense of security, control, and competence included two visits from a weather specialist to gain factual information about weather patterns and tornadoes in particular. These information sessions helped the adolescents to rationalize anxieties about weather changes and to learn protective measures should a tornado strike again. Upon request, the weather specialist sent weather maps and charts to the group. A physiotherapist from a local hospital conducted two relaxation technique sessions with the teen group. At the first session, recognizing and expressing feelings and methods of redirecting thought in times of stress were discussed and practiced. During the second session, teens were instructed on becoming aware of physical manifestations of stress and how to relax the body. Both sessions were extremely effective and the participants requested a repeat session in the spring. A creative art contest was also developed. The purpose of the contest was to promote the expression of emotions resulting from the tornado through photography, writing, poetry, model building, and sketching. Professionals from each field were invited to provide basic training. The Tornado Community Volunteers activities facilitated the ongoing healing process necessary for future growth and development.
Older adolescents (16 - 18 years) also have great difficulty expressing their fears and anxieties because expressing such fears might make them appear less competent to their peers and to themselves. Peer rap groups, in which adolescents can talk about their disaster experiences and ventilate feelings, are helpful in relieving buried anxieties. These groups should meet in familiar surroundings such as a school, worksite, community facility, or wherever they usually congregate in the community. Youth workers involved in Edmonton tornado outreach programs reported that teens in this age group were difficult to reach, particularly those who were no longer attending school. To respond to the needs of this age group, Edmonton youth workers suggested that future endeavours:
Edmonton youth workers were successful in gaining the assistance of some adolescents to volunteer as co-leaders of the pre-adolescent group.
A wide range of normal reactions can follow a disaster. Usually the reactions can be dealt with by support at home and at school. But, if you need to recommend professional help, it is important to emphasize that it is not a sign of failure for parents if they find they are not able to help their child by themselves. It is also important to note that early action will help the child return to normal and avoid problems later. Students who may have lost family members or friends who were physically injured, or felt that they were in extreme danger are at special risk. Individuals who have been in previous disaster or who were involved in individual or family crises in addition to the disaster, may have more difficulty dealing with the additional stress. Counselling may be recommended as a preventive measure under these circumstances. If symptoms, considered normal reactions following a disaster, persist several months and/or are disruptive to a child's social, mental, or physical functioning, referral is recommended. Raymond Lafond is a Social Work Consultant in Emergency Services, Medical Services Branch, Health and Welfare Canada, 11th Floor, Jeanne Mance Building, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0L3. Telephone (613) 957-7724. His article appeared in the Jan-March 1989 issue of Emergency Preparedness Digest. Reprinted in SARNEWS by permission. (Although this appeared years ago, it still seems to be thoughtful and valid, doesn't it?)
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