Citation

West S, Visentin DC, Neil A, Kornhaber R, Ingham V, Cleary M. J. Adv. Nurs. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

School of Nursing, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/jan.14306

PMID

31989653

Abstract

Natural disasters are inherently traumatic. The unexpected, unpredictable, threatening, and overwhelming nature of these events can be destabilising and distressing, potentially leading to psychological trauma (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014). Psychological trauma encompasses how people respond to physical and psychological events that involve actual or life-threatening situations resulting in an intense fear of helplessness (Flannery, 2015). Yet, the experience of psychological trauma is not inevitable, and indeed much can be done to "trauma-proof" communities and the many emergency service personnel who respond to such events.

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Language: en