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By Steve Mardon
A federal law designed to prepare the nation for a possible bioterrorism
attack includes plans to address the psychological toll such an
attack would have. Some aspects are addressed at a national level,
but the law also provides funding that each state can distribute
through grants as it sees fit.
The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Act signed
by President Bush last June provides $4.6 billion intended to ensure
an effective response to bioterrorism. Plans at the federal level
that involve mental health include making sure counseling is available
to emergency response providers; inclusion of behavioral psychology
experts' input in disseminating public information; creation of
a registration and accreditation system for health professionals
who volunteer during emergencies; and a focus on children's response
to bioterrorism.
About $1.6 billion is in the form of grants to states, a portion
of which Congress intended to be devoted to mental health. For example,
states are encouraged to make funding available to public and nonprofit
private organizations to educate health professionals on how to
respond to psychological aspects of bioterrorism. The first of these
grants is slated to run through August 2003, with an extension possible.
Hospitals and colleges and universities are among likely recipients.
The law's inclusion of mental health is a promising development,
according to Ronald F. Levant, Ed.D., chairperson of the American
Psychological Association's Task Force on Promoting Resilience in
Response to Terrorism.
"Until now there's been very little recognition of the mental health
aspect of terrorism," Levant says. "It just hasn't been on anybody's
watch. Now there's a growing recognition that a major impact of
terrorism is psychological. After all, the aim of terrorism is to
create fear and psychological debilitation in the populace. Just
think about the effect an outbreak of smallpox would have. It's
likely the death toll would pale in comparison to the larger wave
of fear and panic that would ensue among the general public."
Levant, a former president of the Massachusetts Psychological Association
who is now dean and professor of psychology at Nova Southeastern
University in Fort Lauderdale, FL, points out that because bioterrorism
is a new threat, there is little consensus yet on how best to approach
the mental health implications.
"At this point, nobody's an expert," he says. "I think those in
government are open to input. There's a real opportunity here for
psychologists to help develop a strategic response network. If you're
interested in getting involved, don't sit back and wait - find out
what's going on in your county and state and take an active role."
The APA also is working independently to address mental health
aspects of terrorism in general, including bioterrorism. The APA
task force Levant chairs includes 15 experts from across the nation,
including Terence Keane, Ph.D., a Boston University psychiatry professor
and director of the National Center for PTSD at the VA Boston Healthcare
System.
The task force is examining issues such as the range of ways individuals
cope with terrorism (e.g., through religion, family, reliance on
friends, the community, etc.) and how resilience has historically
developed following comparable events in other countries. The group
plans to issue fact sheets on its findings tailored for professionals
and the general public, including advice on how handle the issue
with children.
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