Collective Coping with Traumatic Events: Understanding and Managing Emotions

1. Updates 04/26 Traumatic Events Diary Reports Due 05/08 Final Exam (11:45-2:45) Diary papers returned SIRS: Please complete!

2. Collective Coping Class 25

3. Disasters What makes something a disaster? * Collective trauma * What makes something traumatic?

4. Which of These are Traumatic? Being slammed by 240 pound man. Being scolded by 98 pound grandmother. Why is the first NOT traumatic? Why could the second be traumatic? Because of the MEANING assigned to the event

5. Basic Beliefs / Fundamental Assumptions The world is just The world is orderly, not chaotic or random One’s self is good and competent Traumas are events that violate fundamental assumptions (aka "basic beliefs") Do belief-violations really create emotions?

6. Schemas and Emotion Mighty tree that sheds acorns? Soft drink, rival of Pepsi? Very brief story with funny ending? Gray/black fumes that arise from a fire? The white part of an egg? Oak Coke Joke Smoke Albumin BASIC BELIEF / CORE SCHEMA: PARENTS LOVE ME SCHEMA VIOLATION: Son, the problem with me and your mother was having kids in the first place. Things haven’t been the same since you and your sister’s birth”.

7. Major Events Challenge Basic Beliefs The world is just [???] The world is orderly, not chaotic or random [???] One’s self is good and competent

8. The Loma Prieta Earthquake, CA 1989 Characteristics of Quake 7.1 on Richter scale Duration: 15 seconds Most intense seismic event since 1906 quake, which destroyed SF Effects of Quake Deaths = 60 + Injured = 3700 Displaced = 12,000 Damage = $6 billion

9. My Quake Survey Journey SF to Oakland Ferry Jack London Square Office Worker's Survey request Husband's survey request What was going on?

10. Disclosure and Coping Schacter Anxiety and Affiliation Studies a. Clarify causes of distress b. Validates own emotions Sympathetic Listening as Key to Social Support a. Making sense of trauma b. Perspective, insight Failure to Disclose is a Health Risk: Pennebaker a. Suppression physically effortful b. Prolonged suppression  chronic stress c. Disclosure stops suppression, reduces illness

11. Health Benefits of Disclosure Immediate Lowered heart rate Lowered skin conductance Reduced muscle tension Long term health Fewer MD visits Fewer symptoms Stronger immune system Long term coping Reduced depression, stress higher grades, less absenteeism Quicker re-employment after loss

12. Listening Isn’t Easy Contagion of Distress Holocaust survivors study Victims disclose, bodies relax Students listen to stories, bodies show stress Vicarious traumatization among therapists Nightmares, phobias, flashbacks Avoidance of the supporter role Pseudo-sympathetic responses “When the going get tough, the tough get going” “It’s always darker before the dawn” Outright rejection

13. Social Dilemma of Collective Coping People simultaneously placed in two roles: 1. Seek out others for support 2. Sought out as a support source for others AND 1. Telling your problem advances coping 2. Hearing others disclose is a stressor

14. Survey of Disaster Research from 1959 to 1989: A review of 73 published studies. Gathered comparison group data: 27% Gathered data within 2 weeks after event 25% Gathered data two or more times after event 30% Meet all the above criteria 0

15. Quake Study Survey Locations Sacramento, CA San Francisco, CA Los Angeles, CA Dallas, TX SF: Ground zero Sac: Near by, but no quake threat LA: Far away, but has quake threat Dallas: Far away, no quake threat

16. Q WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK --- WEEK --- WEEK --- WEEK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 16 28 50 Timeline of Quake Study

17. Quake Study Method Sample size: 789 residents (SF, Sac, S. Cal, Dallas) Data gathering method: Phone survey Random digit dialing Calls made 6:30 – 9:30, weeknights only Survey lasts 10 minutes

18. Survey Content Communication: Thinking, talking, listening Emotional reactions Physical symptoms Coping tactics: praying, joking, drinking

19. Rates of Talking and Thinking Following the Loma Prieta Earthquake: Bay Area Only James Comey kidnapped by murderer at age 17. Thought about it every day for 5 years.

20. Why Weren’t People Speaking During Weeks 3-6? “Thank you for not sharing your earthquake experience with me” T-shirts in Palo Alto during weeks 3-6 after the quake

21. Percent Reporting an Earthquake-Related Dream, SF vs. Other Locations

22. Percent Reporting an Argument with Family or Co-Workers During the Prior Week

23. Percentage Change in Aggravated Assaults From Year Before Quake to Year After Quake

24. Rates of Quake Related Joking

25. A need to be shaken and stirred? “But deep in my heart I know not that a major disaster would be deliverance from my drab, wretched life – salvation from the old week-by-week, a chance for two-bit heroics blown up on the front page … . I’ve talked to others, and I’m not alone. Maybe we crave a chance to be stouthearted for once and have a real situation to cope with.” Michael Hood, NPR Reporter Commenting on minor quake in Seattle, WA 05/09/96

26. The Three Stage Model of Collective Coping The Three Stage Model of Collective Coping

27. Persian Gulf War I 500000 US soldiers in harms way Experts predict 1000s of US casualties Fears of nuclear weapons, poison gas Fears of terrorism at home Yellow ribbons, prayer sessions Media barrage of war-relate stories

28. Persian Gulf War Study Survey nearly identical to that used in Quake Study Participants contacted randomly All participants were Dallas, TX residents No “comparison sample” possible

29. Rates and Talking and Thinking Following the Persian Gulf War

30. Rates of Event-Related Dreaming, Following the Quake and Following the War

31. Rate of Increased Aggravated Assaults, Dallas, 1991 (War) vs. 1990 (Pre-War)

32. Implications of Collective Coping Research • Coping appears to occur in a three-stage manner • Emergency • Inhibition • Recovery • Public safety should be on especial alert during inhibition stage • Emotions are negotiated events; we need to share the burden of disclosure and listening.

33. Paradox of Need to Disclose INJURY REMEDY Cut finger Blood coagulates Infection Immune response Too hot, too cold Sweating, Shivering Foreign object Coughing, tearing, sneezing Upset psyche Talk to someone

34. The Morgue Study Harber, K.D & Cohen, D., Jou. Language and Soc. Psych, 2005 Participants: 33 undergrads (55% female) Event: Field trip to UM hospital morgue Self-reported reactions: 3 days after morgue visit Story tracking exercise

35. Hannah (F ) 624-8324told 1 Maja (F ) 873-2345 told 0 Lew (M) 927-8743told 1 Primary Sharing Marlow (M) told 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ilana (F) told 2 Secondary Sharing Deb (F) told 0 Max (M) told 1 Tertiary Sharing Gabe (M) told 0 Andrea (F) told 1

36. Story Sharing Following Morgue Field Trip Tertiary Sharing (Sharing by students’ Friends’ Friends) (n = 27) Secondary Sharing (Sharing by students’ Friends) (n = 32) Primary Sharing (Sharing by students) (n = 33) Number/rate of sharing 32.00 (97%) 27.00 (82%) 16.00 (48%) Mean contacts per sharer 6.21 (4.06) 1.46 (1.21) 1.26 ( 1.20) Total no. contacts this level 205 299 377 Total hearing about event: ≈ 881

37. Students’ Emotional Reactions and Story Sharing Tertiary Sharing (Sharing by students’ Friends’ Friends) (n = 26) Secondary Sharing (Sharing by students’ Friends) (n = 32) Primary Sharing (Sharing by students) (n = 33) Students’ reactions .73** .24 .46* Students’ disclosures .56** .61** Note: Students’ disclosures represent proxy index of emotional reaction.