The ABC Daycare Disaster of Hermosillo, Mexico:

The contributions of social network support and reciprocity to posttraumatic stress symptoms across time among parents and caregivers impacted by the ABC Day Care Center fire in Hermosillo, Mexico

In 2009, a fire occurred in the ABC Day Care Center in Hermosillo, Mexico, that killed and injured many children who were in attendance that day. This study investigated the association between the posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) of socially connected parents and caregivers whose children were affected by the fire. Parents and caregivers of the children who were in attendance the day of the fire were interviewed 8-11 months and 20-23 months postfire. Linear network autocorrelation modeling was used to test for autocorrelations of the outcome variable count of PTSS within different configurations of the network of caregivers. No significant network effects appeared in models from the first interview period, but effects did appear in the second period, specifically in the three models in which network ties consisted of "receive informational support" (.220), "give and receive emotional support" (.167), and "give and receive both informational and emotional support" (.213). The findings suggest that in these three network configurations, as relationships grew in strength from the first interview to the second, the level of one's own PTSS was more comparable to the level of PTSS of one's social connections. Two theoretical mechanisms that may explain this result are homophily and social influence.

Secondary Traumatic Stress for Trauma Researchers: A Mixed Methods Research Design

Forty-nine infants and toddlers were killed and 93 others were injured in the ABC Day Care Center fire disaster in Hermosillo, Mexico. This study describes the experiences of ten mental health professionals who researched the community-scale grief and provided clinical services to the parents and caregivers of the affected children. A concurrent triangulation mixed-methods approach was used to quantitatively measure and qualitatively understand the secondary traumatic stress (STS) of the responding professionals. Results indicated that experiences of STS decreased with time and debriefing, however, the responding professionals who were more directly connected to the trauma and those who worked with parents who lost their children displayed an enduring impact of STS. Coping strategies and gender expectations are considered in a discussion of debriefing in the specific cultural context of Northwestern Mexico.

Burn care in disaster and other austere settings

In some circumstances, burn care must be delivered in a simple manner without the luxury of modern resources. Such circumstances include care in low- and middle-income countries, war zones, and mass casualty incidents. Triage decisions need to be made carefully, allowing the focus of limited personnel and equipment on those most likely to survive. Simple techniques can be used to help many burn victims, such as utilizing oral resuscitation formulas for burn resuscitation. Although even the best attempts at preparation often fall short, there are many benefits from planning and training.