Psychosocial interventions in the early phases of disasters.

Interest in the emerging field ofdisaster psychology has significantlyincreased after such events as theOklahoma City bombing and theSeptember 11th (2001) terrorist attacks.Consequently, a massive response hasensued from clinicians seeking toprovide mental health services todisaster victims, highlighting the needto ensure timely and clinically effectiveservice provision. The present article isdirected toward clinicians and traineesinterested in learning more about thedisaster mental health field. It describesthe impact of disasters on communitiesand individuals and the most commonlyemployed interventions. The authorsemphasize the distinction between thefields of disaster psychology andtraumatology and stress that expertisein treating trauma-related disorders isnot sufficient preparation forconducting psychosocial disasterintervention. Finally, information isprovided on how to obtain adequatetraining and experience as a disastermental health professional.