Turunen T, Haravuori H, Pihlajamäki JJ, Marttunen M, Punamäki RL. Framework of the outreach after a school shooting and the students perceptions of the provided support.
Eur J Psychotraumatol 2014;
5:23079. [PMID:
25018862 PMCID:
PMC4082198 DOI:
10.3402/ejpt.v5.23079]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
A large number of bereaved family members, surviving students, and their relatives as well as school staff and the wider community were in need of psychosocial support as a result of a school shooting in Kauhajoki, Finland, 2008. A multilevel outreach project provided psychosocial care to the trauma-affected families, students, schools staff, and wider community for 2 years and 4 months.
OBJECTIVE
This article is twofold. First, it presents the theoretical rationale behind the psychosocial support and describes the multimodal elements of the services. Second, it analyzes the trauma-exposed students' help-seeking behavior and perceptions of the usefulness of the support they were offered in different phases of recovery.
METHOD
Information of students' help-seeking and perceptions of support is based on a follow-up data from 4 months (T1, N=236), 16 months (T2, N=180), and 28 months (T3, N=137) after the shootings. Mean age of students was 24.9 (SD=10.2; 95% women). Their perceptions of the offered psychosocial support were collected with structured and open questions constructed for the study.
RESULTS
The results confirmed the importance of enhancing the natural networks after a major trauma and offering additional professional support for those in greatest need. The students' perceptions of the provided care confirmed that the model of the acute and long-term outreach can be used after major tragedies in diverse situations and in other countries as well.
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