Helping victims of disasters recover is the main focus of a two-day gathering of psychologists from Visayas and Mindanao this month at Silliman University.
The 10th Psychology Regional Forum on April 20 and 21 will tackle topics on psycho-social processing and stress debriefing for survivors of calamities. It also offers simulation exercises that test the participants’ ability to deal with patients under different disaster scenarios.
At least two calamities hit the both regions recently: typhoon Sendong in December last year and the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in February this year. Victims continue to heal and rebuild communities after losing loved ones and properties to both disasters.
A seminar on Mental Health Management and Trauma Healing and Recovery highlights the first day of the forum, with Dr. Gail Tan-Ilagan, a professor at the Ateneo de Davao University as the facilitator. Dr. Tan-Ilagan is also the author of the book on combat stress among active duty troops of the Philippine Army: War Wounded: Combat Stress Sequelae of the 101D Soldiers.
Interactive sessions on Leveling-Off Usual Practices: A Stimulation and Debriefing the Debriefers mark the second day, with Dr. Joey Marie F. Jegonia of Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City as speaker.
The forum is organized for Silliman by the Psychology Department.
