Psychosocial aspects of Emergency and Disaster Homework Help

Psychosocial aspects of Emergency and Disaster

Annotated Bibliography
Barron Ausbooks, C., Barrett, E., & Martinez-Cosio, M. (2009). Ethical issues in disaster research: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. Population Research and Policy Review, 28, 93-106. The article outlines the challenges that the society and media fraternity faces when reporting catastrophic occurrence without causing psychological trauma to the affected individuals. It is based on the case study of Hurricane Katrina.
Dass-Brailsford, P. (2010). Crisis and disaster counseling: Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. Los Angeles: SAGE. Dass-Brailsford offers a substantial review on the response to disaster and its management in the society. He emphasizes on the multicultural competency in developing strategies that would enhance disaster counseling; the review is based on the events of Hurricane Katrina.
Eisenman, D., Cordasco, K., Asch, S., Golden, J., & Glik, D. (2007). Disaster planning and risk communication with vulnerable communities: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. America Journal of Public Health, 97(1): S109-S115. The lack of disaster preparedness in combating catastrophic events like Hurricane Katrina, prompted Eisenaman and co. to write this article. It outlines on the disaster planning strategies that will mitigate psychological trauma in the event of disaster happening.
Flory, K., Kloos, B., Hankin, B., & Cheely, C. (2008). Clinical research after catastrophic disasters: Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(1): 107-112. After the end of the catastrophic disaster, the article outlines the recuperation process of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It provides an understanding on the significance of providing the victims with psychological support.
Henderson, T., Sirois, M., Chen, A., Airriess, C., Swanson, D., & Banks, D. (2009). After a disaster: Lessons in survey methodology from Hurricane Katrina. Population Research Policy Revision, 28: 67-92. The article provides an insight on the activities that were undertaken by both the government and non-governmental organization after Hurricane Katrina. It provides the assessment of activities psychological trauma of victims of the disaster. Lack of adequate disaster management planning was the cause of high number of deaths.
Marini, I., Glover-Graf, N. M., & Millington, M. J. (2012). Psychosocial aspects of disability: Insider perspectives and counseling strategies. New York: Springer Pub. The book outlines the counseling strategies and guidelines that should be articulated in the society when dealing with victims of disasters; preferably the disabled. It includes research on sociological and psychological aspects of the victims and their treatment.
Pender, G., & Faulkner, H. (2010). Flood Risk Science and Management. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Pender and Faulkner’s book provides an insight on approaches that can be relied in order to minimize loss of life and also limit damage and disruptions. Flood risk management has been purported as the best approach that will minimize future flood disasters.
Richardson, H. W., Gordon, P., & Moore, J. E. (2008). Natural disaster analysis after Hurricane Katrina: Risk assessment, economic impacts and social implications. Cheltenham, U.K: Edward Elgar. The book articulates to the risk assessment strategies that the society should articulate in order to minimize or manage natural disasters. The assessment is based on Hurricane Katrina, which was a pivotal event in the history of disaster management.
Toner, J. A., Mierswa, T. M., & Howe, J. L. (2010). Geriatric mental health disaster and emergency preparedness. New York: Springer Pub. Co. The book provides comprehensive information on older person’s mental health problems and strategies to mitigate the adversity of disaster or emergencies on the elderly. It outlines evidenced-based approaches of identifying and managing mental health problems associated with disaster occurrences.
Wisner, B., Adams, J., & World Health Organization. (2002). Environmental health in emergencies and disasters: A practical guide. Geneva: World Health Organization. The book distills the significance of the environmental health when focusing on disaster or emergency preparedness. Based on Hurricane Katrina implications on the environment, the book outlines the need to foster on environmental health.
Hurricane Katrina: Case Study
Hurricane Katrina was the worst ever disaster that the society experienced. Originating from Bahamas, the tropical storm expanded its destruction to Florida coast causing disaster and destruction to the population and living creatures in the region (Thomas, 2006). As the size of the storm was huge, New Orleans experienced hurricane force winds which lasted fro several hours. The storm surged into the countryside, and it caused several canals to fail making huge amounts of water to fill the bowl. Mississippi River was not spared as the Industrial Canal barged causing levee breach. Since then, speculations have been rife on whether the breach caused the barge or the storm surge was caused by over topping of the Canal. London Avenue Canal was also the cause of this disastrous happening as it allowed western Gentily to flood (Hoffman, 2006).
From the assessment of the Hurricane Katrina, it is speculated that the breach was caused by poor engineering on the canals. Where the respective personnel would have realized the significance attributed to disaster management strategies, such ill fortunes would have been prevented. The high rise buildings that were close to these canals experienced worst damage from the wind as the hurricane wind had high velocity when the height was high. It was quite devastating for the government not to have realized the significance of articulating to disaster management strategies (Levitt and Whitaker, 2009). The Superdome building, which had more than 26,000 people, was the worst hit by storm as the roof was blown out by wind. In the case of the football stadium, people had moved there for safety, but humanitarian crisis befell them as there was lack of water and food. People died due to dehydration, stress and heat stroke.
Such a disaster would have been avoided if measures were undertaken, prior to the event, in order to safeguard the population from crisis. Lack of humanitarian services was the cause of major deaths in the stadium, and it was vital for the government to be prepared on the ways of handling such victims either providing them with enough water and food, or offering psychological services to mitigate stress and depression. Unless psychosocial strategies of handling emergencies and disasters in the society are implemented, when another disaster strikes, the same problems will be felt in the society.

Images of Hurricane Katrina

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References
Hoffman, M. A. (2006). Hurricane Katrina. New York: PowerKids.
Levitt, J. I., & Whitaker, M. C. (2009). Hurricane Katrina: America’s unnatural disaster. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Thomas, H. N. (2006). Hurricane Katrina: God offer still stand : before and after Katrina. S.l.: Xulon Press.