Children in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event

Emerging Minds, Australia, 2019

Related to Bereavement, loss and grief, Disasters, Preparing for natural disasters, Trauma

Resource Summary

This video, featuring child psychotherapist Ruth Wraith, discusses some of the ways children might feel and behave in the immediate time period after a disaster. Parents and caregivers can help children feel safe by soothing and reassuring them, accepting and validating their feelings, and holding them.

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Short article

How parents and caregivers can support children immediately after a disaster or community trauma

Emerging Minds

In the immediate aftermath of disaster or community trauma event there are some key principles you can follow to support your children. These principles are based on the best evidence of what helps children to recover after a frightening or overwhelming event. They are collectively known as ‘psychological first aid’ (PFA).
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What parents and caregivers can expect during and immediately after a disaster or community trauma

Emerging Minds

When a significant event occurs it affects the whole community and each individual member, including children will have their own response; however, there are some common themes and behaviours that we see in children and adults following frightening events.
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Children in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event

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This video discusses some of the ways children might feel and behave in the immediate time period after a disaster.
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Webinar

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Emerging Minds and Mental Health Professionals' Network (MHPN)

This webinar, co-produced by the Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN), our panel of experts explore ways to support infants and children following a disaster.
Research summary

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This October 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
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Practice paper

Why we need to support infants and children before, during and after disasters

Emerging Minds

Infants and children rely on the adults around them to meet their needs, keep them safe and help them to make sense of their world. This puts them at greater risk of adverse impacts when a disaster occurs. This practice paper introduces the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support children and families at all stages of a disaster (preparedness, response and recovery).
Practice paper

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Emerging Minds

This practice paper is designed to help you understand the importance of disaster preparedness for not only increasing safety and protecting lives when a disaster occurs, but facilitating the recovery of individuals, families and communities. It also offers practical advice for supporting the disaster preparedness of the children and families you work with.
Practice paper

Understanding how disasters influence infants and children

Emerging Minds

This practice paper aims to equip practitioners with knowledge about the ways disasters can influence a child’s ecology and the importance of targeted support for children’s resilience and recovery in the short and long term.
Practice paper

Supporting infants, children and families in an evacuation

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This practice paper explains why it’s important to consider pregnant people, infants, children and families in evacuation planning and management. It provides practical considerations and strategies for ensuring evacuation procedures and centres meet the needs of infants, children and families and enhance their safety, wellbeing and recovery.

This resource is part of the following toolkits

Community Trauma Toolkit

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Toolkit Sections:

Children in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event

Emerging Minds, Australia, 2019

Resource Summary

Discover more resources

How parents and caregivers can support children immediately after a disaster or community trauma

What parents and caregivers can expect during and immediately after a disaster or community trauma

Children in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event

Individual and family factors associated with child mental health and wellbeing

A whole child approach to disaster recovery

Highlights in child mental health research: October 2024

Relationships matter: Walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents

Highlights in child mental health research: September 2024

Why we need to support infants and children before, during and after disasters

Disaster preparedness with a focus on infants, children and families

Understanding how disasters influence infants and children

Supporting infants, children and families in an evacuation

This resource is part of the following toolkits

Community Trauma Toolkit

Toolkit Sections:

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