Safety, Recovery and Hope After the Mexico Earthquakes: Helping Communities and Families

Complex disasters, such as the earthquakes in Mexico, present a cascade of impacts to those affected — individuals, families and communities. These disasters often promote fear, confusion, grief, anger, helplessness, guilt and sometimes diminished confidence in self or others. In order to counter these effects, disaster experts endorse an approach called Psychological First Aid (PFA), which can help reduce negative feelings and foster one’s sense of safety, recovery and hope.