Emergency Mental Health and
Traumatic Stress

Tips for Talking About Disasters

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Marking Disaster Anniversaries in the Classroom suggests activities for teachers to use with students of different grade levels to commemorate disaster anniversaries.
Questions to Help Children Talk About a Disaster provides examples of "open-ended" questions to encourage children to talk about their feelings and experiences following a disaster.
When Talking Doesn't Help: Other Ways to Help Children Express Their Feelings Following a Disaster provides ideas for helping children express themselves in ways other than talking to help them through the recovery process following a disaster.
The Role of Culture in Helping Children Recover from a Disaster offers words of advice and guidance for teachers helping children from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds through the recovery process following a disaster.

Tips for Talking to Children After a Disaster offers tips to parents on how to talk to children about terrorist events.
After a Disaster: What Teens Can Do provides information for teens to help understand some of their reactions as well as others, to terrorist events. Suggestions are also provided to help ease the unfamiliar feelings related to the event.
Tips for Talking to Children After a Disaster: A Guide for Parents and Teachers [PDF] offers tips to parents on how to talk to children about terrorist events.

Recognizing and Reducing Anxiety in Times of Crisis provides tips for dealing with stress from traumatic events.
A Guide for Older Adults provides suggestions for older adults attempting to understand terrorist events.
Mental Health Aspects of Terrorism describes typical reactions to terrorist events and provides suggestions for coping and helping others.
Disaster Counseling provides suggestions for disaster counselors on establishing rapport and active listening.
How to Deal With Grief

Tips for Talking to Children in Trauma: Interventions at Home For Preschoolers to Adolescents [PDF] suggests activities arranged by age group to help children share recovery feelings and experiences at home. Includes activities for preschoolers, elementary age children, and pre-adolescents and adolescents.
Self-Care Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event: What to Expect in Your Personal, Family, Work, and Financial Life [PDF] cites examples of personal uncertainties, family relationship changes, work disruptions, and financial worries that may contribute to the long-term impact of a traumatic event. Also includes tips on how to survive the road to recovery from a traumatic event.
Anniversary Reactions to a Traumatic Event: The Recovery Process Continues describes common anniversary reactions among victims of traumatic events and explains how these reactions can be a significant part of the recovery process.

Tips for Managing and Preventing Stress: A Guide for Emergency and Disaster Response Workers [PDF] provides suggestions for those who are at the scene. It outlines facts, indicators of stress, and stress management strategies.