Towards peace of mind

From 3 to 5 November 2011 the Annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) will be organized in Baltimore, USA. The 2011 meeting will be the year's largest gathering of professionals dedicated to trauma treatment, education, research and prevention. More than 100 symposia, workshops, panel discussions, cases and media presentations will be presented on a wide variety of topics related to traumatic stress – including the latest in traumatic stress research, clinical insights and innovations.

In relation to the official launching of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) guide for field workers on the 19th of August 2011, War Trauma Foundation (WTF) has organized a panel presentation with colleagues and partners involved in PFA. The presenters are Dr. Leslie Snider, senior programme advisor for War Trauma Foundation, Alison Schafer of World Vision Australia, Jonathan Bisson from the Cardiff University School of Medicine & Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Nancy Baron from Global Psychosocial Initiatives. 

These panelists will describe a) a systematic review of PFA, b) the development of the PFA guide for field workers for different world contexts, c) the piloting of the draft guide in Haiti, and d) provision of PFA during and following the political upheaval in Egypt with various cultural groups. Lessons from the practical application of PFA in different cultural contexts will be highlighted.

Leslie Snider will also join the panel of the Antares Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in presenting findings of the study: ‘A longitudinal study of stress and mental health in humanitarian aid workers; risk and resilience factors and guidelines for humanitarian organizations’.

For more information on the ISTSS annual meeting:  www.istss.org