Notification and Establishing Contact with Family Members after

an Aviation Disaster

Dr. Raquel E. Cohen, M.D., M.P.H.University of Miami Medical School

Aviation Disaster

Characteristics Sudden, unexpected,

catastrophic No time to prepare Extensive destruction

of body (fire after crash)

Loss of personal possessions

Setting “Family Center” Unfamiliar setting No support systems No sense of community Affects far-flung

communities

Population Passengers Family Members Employees of airlines Response teams Government officials

Attribution of Crash Focus on human error Focus on mechanical

failure

Reactions Emotional Social Physical

Key Points to be Considered

A traumatic event is defined as a catastrophic situation that produces extreme helplessness, distress and disruption to familial life routines.

The extent to which people get support from others in the immediate time and nearest surroundings diminishes the development of difficulties following a traumatic event.

Individuals will display an array of behaviors that may produce difficulties for the airline personnel as an expression of normal reactions to an abnormal situation.

State of Mind of Family MemberTransition First Phase

All individuals have methods of working through the traumatic reactions to a catastrophic event. This process of coping can be identified by expressions of behavior which shifts by phases through time.

Efforts to cope with the trauma of the crash can be considered as an attempt to find a meaning in what appears to be so unbelievable and improbable.

There is a strong need to restore control over one’s own life and restore a belief in the assumptions of safety in the environment.

State of Mind of Emergency Workers

Congruence with jobCongruence with personalityCongruence with their current

life-spaceDebriefing

Coping with Emotions Experienced by Post-Disaster Workers

Workers who are highly emotional and less able to modulate their own emotions when working in a post-disaster situation may have difficulty controlling their own feelings when confronted with a survivor’s distress.

Coping with Emotions (continued)

A worker with a high level of emotions will be inclined to escape the situation or rapidly finish the encounter.

If the worker cannot escape from the distressing stimulus, they may attempt to initiate problem-focused, coping responses to ameliorate the survivor’s situation, but primarily as a means of reducing their own distress.

Coping with Emotions (continued)

Workers who are able to modulate their own emotions and who are effective managers of emotion in uncontrollable or highly evocative situations, use problem-focus coping responses and help to alleviate the survivors’ distress. This is because their emotional reaction is likely to be moderate in intensity.

Coping with Emotions (continued)

The appraisal process contributes to the perception that both the survivor and the workers will have of the situation in which both are involved. This cognitive appraisal serves as a mediator of an individual’s responses to a stressful situation.

Relationship Building with Family Members after the Incident

Advances in behavioral sciences have shown that knowledge of the following reactions will help to determine types of assistance provided to traumatized individuals by workers Traumatic reactions Crisis behavior Coping mechanisms Loss Bereavement stages Support systems

Supportive Communication After an Airline Disaster

It will be helpful for workers to acquire the knowledge necessary to anticipate the expectable behavior across time phases. Professional skills: The capacity to attend to the

priority needs of the families is to obtain accurate information shared in a sensitive and effective manner. Communication skills are essential for the selection of the personnel who will assist the individuals.

Professional attitudes: An attitude of support demands an understanding of the family’s anguish and acceptance of their intense need to obtain information, while at the same time hoping for compassion and support.

Operational Guidelines for Communication

Establish airline caller identity and name Establish commitment to assist Provide all factual information available Express awareness of difficulty and pain

experienced by family members Do not promise actions that cannot be

carried out Be aware of the fact that family members

cannot absorb all information and may not comprehend meaning of notification. You may need to repeat information.