If the towns affected by DANA, the kilometers and kilometers of streets choked with mud, were a film set, now it would be time for a change of scenery and performers. The shovels, the trucks, the uniformed professionals and the wellies would go backstage to give way to something much less spectacular: psychological teams made up of people whose mission is to prevent the victims from falling into an abyss of despair and darkness.
The Generalitat Valenciana has deployed 120 professionals in the affected towns, between the field and the consultations set up at the Valencia Fair, where the bodies of the 216 who died in the flood in Valencia are arriving. Two hundred people had been treated there alone until last weekend. And it is not going to slow down, warned Bartolomé Pérez, head of the Autonomous Mental Health Office of the Valencian Community. “This goes far beyond the subway accident or 11M, it is a war scenario and it will depend on everyone to ensure that what happens is not much more.” After shock come symptoms and complications.
A few days ago I spoke with Fernando Muñoz Prieto, a psychologist from Madrid who coordinated the assistance mechanism of the College of Psychologists after the terrorist attacks of 2004. In those fateful days, the profession learned that in a catastrophe it was not enough to have professionals available to those who needed it. need but you had to go look for the people. Be proactive: knock on doors, go to schools, senior centers and work offices. Here I leave you the complete interview with Fernando and in this link you can consult the different initiatives that have been launched in the València area.
The experts we have been speaking with these days warn us that grief is not linear and a traumatic event like this does not affect everyone in the same way. It is expected that from now on, and in the coming months, adaptive disorders will occur that can lead to acute stress. The lack of control is monumental and can affect both those in terrible situations – such as witnessing the disappearance or death of someone or being in serious danger in your home or car – and those who, because they are not so affected, suffer. blame and ask questions. The collective trauma, why you and not me.
The challenge is to prevent whatever there is from becoming post-traumatic stress. “There is a huge amount of work to be done and we must start doing it immediately. It will last months and maybe years,” Fernando assumes. The Ministry of Health has also provided another 14 teams to provide direct care in areas where needs are identified.
While you were doing other things…
When taking care of others’ health destroys yours
The nursing staff is collapsing. This week we have a new test of this that we repeat from time to time. The data: 23% of professionals have ended up on sick leave due to situations of anxiety, stress or mental exhaustion related to work in the last year, according to the responses that the General Nursing Council (CGE) has received from almost 10,000 health workers from hospitals, outpatient clinics and social health centers who have been asked how they are in their daily work. The majority (75%) work in public health.
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See you next Saturday.
Sofia
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