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Most clinicians who have expertise in mental health aspects of disaster developed their skills in this area after they found themselves seeing patients following some tragic event. It is true that well trained clinicians know about acute stress, loss, grief, and PTSD since these conditions come up in many forms with many patients. However, the application of their clinical skills in the midst and in the aftermath of disaster is a whole different ballgame. Having co-taught a course in disaster psychiatry for several years at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, I heard this story many times as colleagues joined us for the course after experiencing a disaster in their area.
There are many courses, seminars, journal articles and books which will inform you in great depth about the essential topics in disaster mental health, many of them written and edited by the editors and contributors of Hidden Impact. The book is originated from the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP) where the authors are members of the Committee on Disasters and Terrorism. GAP has a tradition of identifying important areas of mental health and supporting publications in these areas. In my opinion this book fits the bill as the first on this subject you should read or if you were only reading one book this is the one to read. It is the book that you will throw in your suitcase if you find yourself traveling to a site to render care in the aftermath of a disaster.
In 250 pages this is as comprehensive a course of study on this subject as I have ever seen in a book this size. It is well written, interesting, and quite practical. Each chapter starts with a vignette, which either centers on victims of a disaster or on the caretakers faced with the dilemma of dealing with the aftermath of such an event. The book is filled with practical information such as a comprehensive check list (and I do mean comprehensive) of what to take with you if you go into an area to render car