Australia is on fire. Lives have been lost, people are missing and homes and communities have been destroyed.
Our community spirit has been demonstrated every day by the thousands of emergency services workers, Army reservists, volunteers, charities and local people in the disaster-affected communities.
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the Australian Red Cross have been working together for a number of years to support Australians when disasters strike.
One initiative is the Disaster Response Network (DRN), a national network of APS psychologists who have a special interest and expertise in working with individuals and communities affected by disasters and emergencies in Australia, as well as those working to assist them.
The DRN was activated in December, and APS psychologists are being deployed through the Red Cross to bushfire affected areas, on an as-needed basis. The DRN will be of most value in the weeks and months to come, and information and advice is needed by many people now.
“Humans are resilient. With time and support, most of us can bounce back from difficult or traumatic experiences. However, we’re all different and there is no prescribed way to respond to traumatic experiences,” said President Ros Knight.
“The impact of disasters is not just felt at the time they occur. It can last for a long time, or can lay dormant and appear months or years later. It is also important to remember that not everyone who experiences an emergency will have emotional distress or problems during or after the crisis.”
The APS has a number of resources to assist the public in psychologically preparing for and recovering from bushfires.
Prepare
Psychological preparedness
Information to Anticipate, Identify and Manage.
Preparing children for the threat of bushfires
Advice for parents and caregivers.
Recover
Useful skills for disaster recovery
Information covering helpful thinking, problem solving, the importance of social connections, taking time for pleasurable activities and managing emotional distress.
Psychological First Aid: An Australian guide to supporting people affected by disaster
Information for people working in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Published in partnership with the Red Cross.
Helping children who have been affected by bushfires
Information for parents and caregivers.
For more information, or to arrange an interview call the APS Media team on 03 8662 3358 / 0435 896 444, or email. Find the APS Media team on Twitter: @AustPsych
The APS is the largest professional organisation for psychologists in Australia, representing more than 27,000 members. The APS is committed to advancing psychology as a discipline and profession. It spreads the message that psychologists make a difference to people’s lives, through improving psychological knowledge and community wellbeing.