The role of crisis intervention in an airport disaster plan

The impact of disasters on the psychological adjustment of individuals is discussed. In most cases the traditional "mental illness model" is not appropriate for viewing problems resulting from crisis. Rather, the psychological symptoms are viewed as transitional and are qualitatively different from traditional mental disorder. Severe crisis state, often produced by cataclysmic events, can be lessened in magnitude and reduced in time by crisis intervention treatment as soon as possible following the disaster. The primary goals of crisis intervention are symptom relief and development of stress management attitudes. The applicability of the crisis intervention approach for managing the psychological problems of a major aircraft disaster are discussed. The crisis intervention plan for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Disaster Program is discussed.