Disaster recovery programs are typically aimed to address concrete needs of communities in disaster impacted areas. The post-disaster psychological vulnerability of impacted populations, particularly of children and adolescents, is now widely documented.

Teachers are ideally placed to administer early intervention strategies to support child and adolescent mental health in the post-disaster environment. However, the most effective strategies available to teachers have not been delineated.

Dr Carlie Darling, Statewide Projects Co-ordinator, RAMHP, The Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health recently presented a review of this topic at the recent Australian & New Zealand Disaster and Emergency Management Conference held at the Mercure Hotel, Brisbane 28th to the 30th of May 2013.  Dr Darling discussed the aim to identify teacher-mediated strategies that have been found to support child mental health and wellbeing following a natural disaster.

 

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