Psychosocial Aspects of Disaster

Catalog description

The course covers the theoretical development, history, and empirical studies of the psychosocial dynamics and sequelae of disasters. Characteristics of environmental health disasters, reactions and risk factors, as well as trends in disaster mental health are examined. Emphasis is placed on inclusion of psychosocial considerations in the planning, preparation, and very early intervention phases of a disaster. Vulnerable populations are of particular interest in highly interactive case-based learning through reflection labs for application in situations such as natural disaster, environmental health crises, pandemic illness, or threats to national security. Baseline resilience planning is required of all students planning to work in disaster or emergency response fields.