43066 - Psychology of Emergencies and Critical Events

Learning outcomes

The course aims to show the main psychological processes in the individual and collective response to critical and traumatical events. Partecipants will develop  helping skills in crisi situations and will be capable to understand  psychosocial interventions with emergency services.

Course contents

Introduction to crisis psychology.

Psychotraumatology and psycosocial support.

Human response to danger and behaviors in fires and crowd events.

Psychological effects of extreme environmental conditions.

Resilience and posttraumatic growth

Psychopathology after traumatic events ( depression, Post traumatic stress disorder)

Psychological itnerventions at individual, group and community level: CISM,  Psychological First Aid, psychosocial support

Secondary traumatic stress  an compassion fatigue: training rescue workers
Comunication in the emergency services: death notification and emergency telephone calls.
Emergency services and organization (118, police organization, firefighters)
Emergency in aviation: human factor and critical incidents.

Readings/Bibliography

Main textbook:
Manuale di psicologia dell'emergenza di Antonio Zuliani, Maggioli Editore, Riccione, 2005.

ERASMUS STUDENTS HAVE TO STUDY ONLY MAIN TEXTBOOK + SLIDES LESSONS + 2 ARTICLES IN ENGLISH
Choose one of these:

• Didonna F., Herbert C. (2006). Capire e superare il trauma. Una guida per comprendere e fronteggiare i traumi psichici Centro Studi Erickson, Trento.
• Giannantonio, M. (a cura di) (2003). Psicotraumatologia e Psicologia dell'Emergenza. Salerno, Ecomind.
• Castelli C., Sbattella F. (2003). Psicologia dei disastri : interventi relazionali in contesti d'emergenza. Roma, Carocci.
• Dorfer M (2004). Psicologia del traffico: analisi e trattamento del comportamento alla guida, Milano, McGraw Hill.
• Bisio C. (a cura di) (2003). Fattore umano e sicurezza sul lavoro. Aspetti psicosociali e interventi nelle organizzazioni. Unicopli, Milano.
• Borri F., Mugnai L., Ralli F. (2001) Valutazione del rischio incendio e gestione del piano di emergenza e di evacuazione. Buffetti.
• Del Vecchio M., Cosmi L. (2003). Il risk management nelle aziende sanitarie, McGraw Hill, Milano.
• Schnurr P. P., Green B. L. (2004).Trauma and health : physical healthconsequences of exposure to extreme stress, Washington, American Psychological Association.
• Williams M.B., Poijula S., (2002). The PTSD workbook : simple,effective techniques for overcoming traumatic stress symptoms, Oakland,CA : New Harbinger Pub.
• MacNair R. M. (2002). Perpetration-induced traumatic stress : the psychological consequences of killing, Praeger Pub.
• Gist R., Lubin B. (1999). Response to disaster : psychosocial, community, and ecological approaches, Philadelphia, Brunner-Mazel.
• Bear Z. (1998). Good practice in counselling people who have been abused, London, Jessica Kingsley.

Teaching methods

Some lectures of experts will be included in the classes. Theaching methods will be case study, role-playing, work on scientific papers. Guided visits to main emergency services will be organized (firefighters, aviation, EMS).  

Assessment methods

Questionnaire with open ended and multiple choices questions. Interview on scientific articles will be followed in the same day.

Office hours

See the website of Luca Pietrantoni