ABSTRACT
Exposure to traumatic events is frequent in the general population and psychiatric sequelae such as post-traumatic stress disorders are common. The symptoms of psychiatric sequelae after trauma are vague, with multiple psychological and physical symptoms, which can confuse the health care professional. This paper seeks to facilitate the work in primary care, providing practical information about the diagnosis, initial management and referral of patients who have suffered traumatic experiences. Some early interventions and treatments are suggested.
Subject(s)
Humans , Primary Health Care , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Psychological Trauma/therapy , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Disease Management , Psychological Trauma/psychologyABSTRACT
One of the most important topics mentioned by people from places affected by the February 27th, 2010 earthquake to the Presidential Delegation for the Reconstruction, was the urgent need of mental health care. Given the enormous individual and social burden of mental health sequelae after disasters, its treatment becomes a critical issue. In this article, we propose several actions to be implemented in Chile in the context of the process of recovery and reconstruction, including optimization of social communication and media response to disasters; designing and deployment of a national strategy for volunteer service; training of primary care staff in screening and initial management of post-traumatic stress reactions; and training, continuous education and clinical supervision of a critical number of therapists in evidence-based therapies for conditions specifically related to stress.