Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- 1. Background -- History of the concept of psychological trauma: return to Freud -- The origin and evolution of disaster psychology -- 2. Acute Traumatic Events and Situations -- Disasters, major accidents and exceptional societal situations -- Distinguishing features of a traumatic event -- Everyday traumatic events -- 3. Traumatic Events and Psychological Victims -- Considering the psychological aspect in defining victims -- Perspectives in defining victims of a traumatic event -- Direct and indirect victims -- 4. Processing a Traumatic Experience -- Psychological shock -- The reaction stage -- The working through and processing stage -- The reorientation stage -- Factors affecting working through a traumatic experience -- 5. Breakdowns in Processing Traumatic Experiences -- Fixation in the shock stage -- Fixation in the reaction stage, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder -- Denial of the truth -- Fixation in grieving -- Criminal and antisocial behavior -- 6. Long-term Consequences of Traumatic Experiences -- 7. Measures to Prevent Traumatization -- Are preventive measures necessary? -- The foundations and principles of acute crisis work -- Supporting coping -- 8. Psycho-social Support and Services after Traumatic Events -- Crisis work is community work -- Acute crisis work in major disasters -- 9. The Media and Traumatic Events -- The role of the media as producers of traumatic experiences -- The role of the media in promoting psychological coping with a traumatic event -- Protecting victims from publicity -- 10. Psycho-social Support During the Shock Stage -- Psychological first aid -- Psychological defusing -- 11. Coping with Psychological Reactions: Debriefing -- History of the psychological debriefing method and its applications -- Aims of psychological debriefing.

Applications of psychological debriefing -- Timing of psychological debriefing -- Session planning and organization -- Structure of debriefing groups -- Large debriefing groups -- Practical arrangements of a debriefing session -- Debriefing session leaders -- 12. The Debriefing Session -- The stages of psychological debriefing -- Role and duties of the leader in psychological debriefing -- The follow-up session -- 13. Children as Victims of Traumatic Events -- Children are underestimated -- Special features of children's traumatic experiences -- Children's ways of coping with traumatic experiences -- Children and psychological debriefing -- 14. When Work Traumatizes -- Traumatic experiences and stress -- Traumatic experiences at work -- Psycho-social support and services for professional helpers -- 15. Organizing Crisis Services in Acute Traumatic Situations -- Everyday traumatic incidents and situations -- Local crisis groups -- Hospital crisis groups -- Major accidents -- 16. Impacts of Interventions Designed to Prevent Traumatization -- Critical research -- Fundamental principles in researching the impact of crisis care -- Research results on the impact of crisis work -- Conclusions on efficacy of crisis work -- References -- Subject Index -- Author Index.