Evidence-Based Approaches to Intervention Following Trauma (Philadelphia, 11/15/01)

Announcement

This notice is to announce that this year’s meeting of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT) will include a special event that was organized in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States. It will take place from 8:30 PM until 10:00 PM on Thursday November 15, on the first evening of the AABT Meeting (Philadelphia Marriott). This event is free to all mental health professionals, regardless of whether they have registered for the general AABT meeting. Because this was planned after the AABT program book was published, we are using alternative ways of publicizing the event, including e-mails such as this one.

The purpose of the presentation is to education practitioners, researchers, and other interested professionals on the latest information regarding evidence-based approaches to crisis intervention following tragedies such as the September 11 attacks. The evening has been organized by Sonja V. Batten, Ph.D., and Melissa A. Polusny, Ph.D., the incoming and current presidents of the AABT Disaster and Trauma Special Interest Group. The list of distinguished speakers include Robin H. Gurwitch, Ph.D., Edna B. Foa, Ph.D., Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D., Steven C. Hayes, Ph.D., and Richard M. Gist, Ph.D.

The full description of the event appears below. For more information, please check out the AABT website (www.aabt.org). Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues and students.

Sincerely,

Martin M. Antony, Ph.D.
Program Chair, AABT 2001

In the Wake of Terror: Science-Based Guidelines for Mental Health Professionals

Co-Chairs: Sonja V. Batten, Ph.D., National Center for PTSD, Boston VA Health Care System and Melissa A. Polusny, Ph.D., Minneapolis VA Medical Center

Sponsored by: AABT Disaster and Trauma Special Interest Group

Forum to be presented at the Meeting of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, November 15, 2001, Philadelphia, PA.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, American society and media have looked to the field of psychology for guidance in how to help the many people affected by these tragic events. Believing strongly in the need for clinical science to inform practice, the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT) has organized a special presentation to address the empirical literature focused on the understanding of and effective response to such traumatic events. In collaboration with AABT President Marsha Linehan and Program Chair Martin Antony, the Disaster and Trauma Special Interest Group of AABT is pleased to present an evening of engaging discussion by a panel of internationally renowned experts: Edna Foa, Richard Gist, Robin Gurwitch, Steven Hayes, and Dean Kilpatrick. These distinguished panel members will provide empirically-guided suggestions for mental health professionals responding to the aftermath of large-scale disasters and traumatic events and will highlight some of the controversies in the scientific literature.

The Impact of Trauma and Disasters on Children
Robin H. Gurwitch, Ph.D.
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

As much as adults would like to protect children from trauma or disasters, this is not always possible. In light of the recent tragedy impacting the United States and the world, it is important for those caring for and working with children to understand potential reactions children may experience, as well as how to improve children's coping. This presentation will focus on developmentally-appropriate ways of helping children deal with difficult events, with an emphasis on the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Early Interventions for Trauma: Possibilities and Pitfalls
Edna B. Foa, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania

This presentation will review findings from controlled studies on the short-term and long-term effects of one session Psychological Debriefing (PD), compared to the effects of 4-5 sessions of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The empirical literature suggests that one session of PD is either no more effective than no-intervention or may even impede natural recovery, and four to five sessions of CBT delivered 2-4 weeks after the trauma promotes recovery. Possible variables to explain these results will be presented.

Lessons from Lockerbie: Service Utilization and Victim Satisfaction After the Pan Am 103 Terrorist Bombing
Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D.
National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina

The December 21st, 1989, terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103 killed 270 people, making it the largest air disaster in British history and the largest mass murder in Scottish history. This presentation will describe the results of an evaluation of 300 surviving family members of those killed in this terrorist bombing. A primary focus of the presentation will be to describe the results of the study and how what was learned from Pan Am 103 families can be used to improve services for victims of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Prejudice, Terror, and Acceptance: Problems and Solutions Presented by Human Language and Cognition
Steven C. Hayes, Ph.D.
University of Nevada, Reno

Rather than being an aberrant process, human prejudice can be conceptualized as the result of normal human cognitive processes. These same processes can be extended to explain extreme behaviors, including suicide and terrorism. This presentation will provide an empirical framework for understanding seemingly incomprehensible, violent behaviors, suggesting that these processes can be altered through cognitive defusion, mindfulness, and acceptance.

Discussant
Richard M. Gist, Ph.D.
Kansas City Missouri Fire Department and University of Missouri Kansas City

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