New Publications

The SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center developed four products to help disaster survivors identify and understand possible reactions to a disaster.

Posters: Have You Experienced a Disaster? and Have You and Your Family Been Affected by a Disaster?

Disaster survivors are not always aware of behaviors in themselves or in others that may be associated with adverse reactions to a disaster. These two posters were developed to help disaster survivors identify and understand possible reactions to a disaster. One poster covers adult reactions to a disaster, while the other provides information for parents and caregivers on common disaster reactions in children and youth.

Download the adult behavioral health poster

Download the children and youth behavioral health poster

Tips for Survivors: Coping with Anger After a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event

Survivors may feel anger resulting from how a disaster has affected their life or from the sometimes slow, challenging recovery process. This new tip sheet helps survivors identify, understand, and cope with their feelings of anger. Effective coping will assist survivors after current and future disasters.

Topics addressed include:

Conditions that contribute to anger and how common it is to feel angry after a disaster
Moments when feelings of anger are likely to occur
Links between anger and maladaptive coping strategies such as substance misuse
Ways effective coping can lead to the long-term ability to endure difficult conditions

View the tip sheet

Helping Older Adults After Disasters: A Guide to Providing Support

SAMHSA has released an updated version of its guide for working with older adults after disasters to help crisis counselors, outreach workers, and other staff prepare to provide emotional and mental health support—informally or professionally—to older adults after a disaster.

Topics addressed include:

Common disaster reactions and nationwide resources for emotional support and referral
Issues that are more common among older adults than the general U.S. population (e.g., multiple chronic health conditions) and ways to address and incorporate them in services provided to older adults after disasters
Tips for working with older adults during disaster recovery