Grounded in the best science available, this essential volume presents practical guidelines for effective clinical intervention in the immediate, intermediate, and long-term aftermath of large-scale traumatic events. Vital lessons learned from a variety of mass traumas and natural disasters are incorporated into the book's thorough review of strategies for helping specific victim and survivor populations. The editors and authors include over 40 leading experts in disaster mental health. Of crucial importance, they clearly summarize the empirical evidence supporting each intervention and provide other guidance based on experience and consensus recommendations.

Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, MD, MPH, is Psychiatry Consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General. Her assignments and other missions have taken her to Korea, Somalia, Iraq, Israel, and Vietnam. An internationally recognized expert, Dr. Ritchie brings a unique public health approach to the management of disaster and combat mental health issues. She has published numerous articles on forensic, disaster, and military operational psychiatry.
Patricia J. Watson, PhD, is a Senior Educational Specialist for the National Center for PTSD. She collaborates with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and subject-matter experts to create publications for public and mental health interventions following large-scale terrorism, disaster, and pandemic flu.
Matthew J. Friedman, MD, PhD, is Executive Director, National Center for PTSD, and Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Dartmouth Medical School. He has worked as a clinician and researcher for 30 years, and has published 15 books and over 140 chapters and scientific articles on stress and PTSD, biological psychiatry, psychopharmacology, and clinical outcome studies on depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and chemical dependency. Listed in The Best Doctors in America, he is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; past president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, which awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award; and Chair of the scientific advisory board of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

I. Introduction1. Overview, Matthew J. Friedman, Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, and Patricia J. Watson2. Models of Early Intervention Following Mass Violence and Other Trauma, Josef I. RuzekII. Preparation, Training, and Needs Assessment3. Improving Resilience Trajectories Following Mass Violence and Disaster, Patricia J. Watson, Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, James Demer, Paul Bartone, and Betty J. Pfefferbaum4. Disaster Mental Health Training: Guidelines, Considerations, and Recommendations, Bruce H. Young, Josef I. Ruzek, Marlene Wong, Mark S. Salzer, and April J. Naturale5. Immediate Needs Assessment Following Catastrophic Disaster Incidents, Anthony H. SpeierIII. Mental Health Interventions6. Interventions for Traumatic Stress: Theoretical Basis, Arieh Y. Shalev7. The Context of Providing Immediate Postevent Intervention, Roderick J. Ørner, Adrian T. Kent, Betty J. Pfefferbaum, Beverley Raphael, and Patricia J. Watson8. The Immediate Response to Disaster: Guidelines for Adult Psychological First Aid, Bruce H. Young9. Intermediate Interventions, Richard A. Bryant and Brett T. Litz10. Longer-Term Mental Health Interventions for Adults Following Disasters and Mass Violence, Beverley Raphael and Sally Wooding11. Consultation to Groups, Organizations, and Communities, James E. McCarroll and Robert J. Ursano12. On a Road Paved with Good Intentions, You Still Need a Compass: Monitoring and Evaluating Disaster Mental Health Services, Craig S. Rosen, Helena E. Young, and Fran H. NorrisIV. Specific Situations and Populations13. Interventions for Children and Adolescents Following Disasters, Judith A. Cohen, Anthony P. Mannarino, Laura E. Gibson, Stephen J. Cozza, Melissa J. Brymer, and Laura Murray14. Rapid Development of Family Assistance Centers: Lessons Learned Following the September 11 Terrorist Attacks, Gregory A. Leskin, William J. Huleatt, Jack Herrmann, Lisa R. LaDue, and Fred D. Gusman15. Psychiatric Intervention for Medical and Surgical Patients Following Traumatic Injuries, Harold J. Wain, Geoffrey G. Grammer, John Stasinos, and Catherine M. DeBoer16. Mitigation of Psychological Effects of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Ross H. Pastel and Elspeth Cameron Ritchie17. Promoting Disaster Recovery in Ethnic-Minority Individuals and Communities, Fran H. Norris and Margarita Alegría18. Toward Understanding and Creating Systems of Postdisaster Care: A Case Study of New York's Response to the World Trade Center Disaster, Fran H. Norris, Jessica L. Hamblen, Patricia J. Watson, Josef I. Ruzek, Laura E. Gibson, Betty J. Pfefferbaum, Jennifer L. Price, Susan P. Stevens, Bruce H. Young, and Matthew J. Friedman19. Outreach Strategies: An Experiential Description of the Outreach Methodologies Used in the September 11 Disaster Response in New York, April J. NaturaleV. Creating an Agenda for the Future20. Conducting Research on Mental Health Interventions, Brett T. Litz and Laura E. Gibson21. Mental Health and Behavioral Interventions for Victims of Disasters and Mass Violence: Caring, Planning, and Needs, Robert J. Ursano and Matthew J. Friedman