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Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series Resource Center
The SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) provides various resources and useful information for those in the disaster behavioral health field.
All resources for which links are provided are in the public domain or have been authorized for noncommercial use. Hardcopies of some materials may be ordered. If you use content from resources in this collection in program materials, you should acknowledge the source of the materials. Nothing in these other than SAMHSA resources constitutes a direct or indirect endorsement by SAMHSA or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of any non-federal entity’s products, services, or policies.
Did you know you can download your search results? Simply apply search filters and then click on the Download Filtered Resources link to obtain a .csv file with the resources you have found, including each resource’s name, description, date, URL, and source.
This online article includes information on how a parent's posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms can affect his or her children. It describes some of the common child responses to those symptoms and offers guidance regarding what a parent should do when faced with this situation.
This web page provides an overview of the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and the risk factors that may make it more likely for children to develop PTSD. It also describes the signs of PTSD in children and adolescents and different techniques to treat PTSD.
This web page focuses on SAMHSA's National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, which aims to improve treatment and services for youth and families who have experienced traumatic events. It explores childhood trauma and links to resources for parents and caregivers, educators, health professionals, and more.
This web page provides an overview of disasters, how they affect children, and how parents can offer support. It presents links to fact sheets, answers to parents' frequently asked questions, and policies and articles for clinicians. The web page also features information and links for finding help for a child or adolescent struggling with his or her disaster reactions.
This part of the website of the National Center for PTSD features materials for professionals to help them in working with older adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one possible consequence of disaster experiences. Resources include online information and courses about PTSD in older adults, PTSD that is co-occurring with other conditions that may arise in older adults, and prescribing practices for older veterans with PTSD.
This article on the website of the National Center for PTSD discusses telemental health for individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including individuals living in rural areas. It also analyzes the pros and cons of telemental health for patients with PTSD.
This fact sheet from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies provides information about trauma and its possible effects on adults. It includes common behavioral health responses to traumatic events, explains posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), and identifies factors that can support recovery for affected individuals.
Designed for mental health professionals and researchers, this online fact sheet provides information about trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide. It presents suicide statistics, identifies types of trauma associated with increased risk of suicide (e.g., military sexual trauma), explores research on whether PTSD increases suicide risk, and highlights types of treatment for PTSD that may also lower risk for suicide.
This document can be used by emergency management and disaster planners to assist them in preparing for the movement of psychiatric patients during disasters. Included are the basic assumptions planning staff may have about psychiatric patients and moving them, as well as some considerations for both planners and providers.
This web page from NAMI gives an overview of how mental health conditions may affect a person's life, as well as how to begin recovery. It also provides information on a comprehensive list of mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. For each condition, it provides information on treatment, support, and discussion groups and resources.
This web page provides an overview of how a disaster or traumatic event may affect a person with serious mental illness (SMI) differently because of the way he or she experiences a disaster. It also offers information that suggests that people with SMI are more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following disasters than people without SMI.
The Real Warriors Campaign is an initiative to promote the processes of building resilience, facilitating recovery, and supporting reintegration of returning service members, veterans, and their families.
This online fact sheet discusses some treatments shown to be effective for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including forms of talk therapy as well as medication. The fact sheet notes which treatments have strong research support and which have less support from research and features links to additional information about treatment of PTSD.
This web page provides information on how to figure out if you may have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and what you should do if you think that you do. It includes information regarding why help for PTSD is necessary and treatments that are available.
This website offers independent study courses to help health providers better serve their veteran patients. Course topics include posttraumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and traumatic brain injury.
This web page includes information on the most common relationship problems for people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It explains why these relationship problems occur and offers suggestions for those who have a loved one who is suffering from PTSD.
This online article introduces the concept of spirituality, explains how spirituality relates to trauma, identifies aspects of trauma most likely to affect spirituality, and suggests ways for spiritual and religious leaders and mental health care practitioners to support people with trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Links to additional information about PTSD are provided.
This online article reviews how family members can be affected by having a loved one with posttraumatic stress disorder. It discusses common reactions family members will have to a loved one's traumatic experience and what professionals can do to help these families. [Authors: Carlson, E. B., & Ruzek, J.]
The PTSD Coach app can be used by individuals who believe they may be suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as their families. It provides users with resources they can trust, including PTSD treatments that work. Features also include tools for tracking symptoms, tools for handling stress, and direct links to support and help.
This edition of the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center's research newsletter describes research on reactions children and youth may have to human-caused disasters such as incidents of mass violence, terrorist attacks, and technological disasters. The edition identifies mental health and substance use issues and conditions that may affect young people after human-caused disasters, as well as approaches and interventions to support them.
This mobile app is designed to support cognitive processing therapy (CPT), one of the most effective treatments for people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The app is meant to be downloaded by patients and used while they are working with therapists trained in CPT. The app features tracking of PTSD symptoms over time to evaluate progress, homework assignments and worksheets, and reminders for therapy sessions.
This issue of the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center's research newsletter discusses reactions children and youth may have to a natural disaster. It also describes a variety of mental health issues and mental disorders that may occur, as well as substance use and misuse issues among adolescents, and risk and protective factors.
This article describes the reactions children may have after experiencing a catastrophic event, such as a natural disaster. It also describes what may put a child at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder, and the symptoms they may experience.