Mental Health and Wellness Following Large-Scale Catastrophic Events: The Role of the Pediatric Clinician

Large scale catastrophic events have profound impact on the health and wellness of children. Physical and mental health challenges related to these traumatic experiences will overwhelm existing pediatric health care systems, including the mental health system. Proactive planning for communication, leadership, and service delivery models for individual, family and community during the acute and long-term phases of recovery are essential. Training on the array of trauma-associated symptoms is important. These include fatigue, lethargy, headaches, chest pain, gastrointestinal pain, along with more well-known posttraumatic stress symptoms such as anxiety, anhedonia, dissociation, hypervigilance, increased startle response, and more.