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University of the Punjab

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Workshop on Post Disaster Psychological Management of Children concludes
Workshop on Post Disaster Psychological Management of Children concludes


LAHORE: (Monday, April 23, 2012): Punjab University Department of Applied Psychology and Centre for Clinical Psychology held a 3-day workshop on “Post Disaster Psychological Management of Children” which has concluded at Undergraduate Study Centre here on Monday. The workshop has been conducted by renowned clinical psychologists from Europe and it aimed at producing master trainers who would subsequently provide training to professionals for psychological management of children who have witnessed traumatic conditions such as floods, earthquakes, terror attacks etc. The concluding session was chaired by Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran in which Director Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar, Ms Unne Marie and Ms Elain MAhle from Norway, faculty members and other mental health professionals participated.

Addressing the ceremony, the VC said that knowledge was solution to all the problems being faced by the country. He advised the participants to practice what they had learnt in order to serve the country. Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar said that disaster affected psychologically nearly each and ever person of the community but children were mostly vulnerable to disaster suffering and it was manifested in for of psychological and behavioral symptoms. She said sometimes parents, teachers and other persons concerned underestimated not only the intensity but the extent of the stress reactions in children. She said that some of psychological effects on children after disaster included post traumatic stress symptoms, adjustment related disorder, depression, anxiety, fears of monsters or animals. She said that early psychological intervention was recommended following disasters and counseling after disasters should be provided for fairly longer period, with different and shifting patterns and highlighting changing needs of different age groups. Later, certificates were distributed among participants of the workshop.