EUTOPA Amsterdam Conference September 25/26 2008 Amsterdam conference September 25/26 2008 Multidisciplinary guideline for early psychosocial interventions

EUTOPA Amsterdam Conference

September 25/26 2008

Amsterdam conferenceSeptember 25/26 2008

Multidisciplinary guideline for early psychosocial interventions

after disasters, terrorism and other shocking events



Guidelines

• If we are to usefully develop these guidelines across Europe, they need to be seen as a means of promoting good practice and high standards, arising out of conscientious practice.

• Guidelines help – – To ensure a good evidence base,

– To encourage academic and professional networks

– To influence policy

– enable training



Integration of psychosocial and social strategies

• There is broad agreement with the guidelines, some concerns about implementation

• Integration of psychological and social strategies • There is broad agreement with the guidelines• There are concerns about implementation. • Use of language – what terms should be used – “victims”,

“survivors” etc. How to avoid risks of stereotyping?• It is important to integrate psychosocial responses to disaster into

each country’s health policies and strategies.• How to create strong, clear leadership in both social and clinical

responses?• How to educate partners in country?• How do we engage with communities to help them respond

supportively?



Risk factors and screening

• There is general agreement about the guidelines. However, this is still a contentious and problematical area, particularly in terms of delivery.

• There are considerable ethical, social policy and cost issues.• There are challenges in terms of outreach and reaching the right

people. Media and the press can be useful.• There need to be appropriate tools for different cultures and

situations.• Cost benefits of interventions need to be thought through.



Information and psycho-education

• There is broad agreement with the guidelines that good quality, timely information is crucial. There does need to be more evidence to show what really helps.

• With regard to the difference between information given in response to an event and education given in anticipation of events, how are we to identify people for whom either of these is cost effective?

• Information needs to be appropriate, adapted to specific disasters, to individual situations, and it must be appropriately timed (immediate, six weeks after, etc.)

• There is lots of good practice which can be shared as examples



Curative early interventions • These guidelines may need major change for a European audience.• Timeliness and the availability of psychosocial support needs to be

emphasized as a common concern.• CBT is either unavailable or not the intervention of choice in many countries.

The guidance may need to provide a stronger link to national guidelines and professional consensus for interventions whilst the evidence base is developed.

• There may also be a need in many circumstances to find ways of identifying people in real need earlier than six weeks

• The guidance does not answer the issue of more complex presentations and how we should respond. Again a greater link to national guidance may be necessary.

• It may also be necessary to strengthen the guidance in relation to duty of care for employers following disasters.

• The guidance relating to children does not sit easily as there is no evidence base to support it. I should either be removed or placed in a more tentative area for future research and debate.



Thanks for working together.

Documents

EUTOPA Amsterdam Conference September 25/26 2008 Amsterdam conference September 25/26 2008 Multidisciplinary guideline for early psychosocial interventions