In Beijing city, China, at 17:20, February 20, 2012, Dr. N. W. Suriastini, Research Director SurveyMETER presented poster as the result of studying the impact of the Mobile Center for Stress and Trauma Relief Program (PPSTK), which was given by Anand Ashram Foundation (Affiliated with United Nations) in the valley of Mount Merapi, at Magelang, when Merapi erupted on 2010.
This presentation is a part of the “Asia-Pacific Workshop 2012: Building Capacity for Psychological Intervention after Disasters in the Asia and Pacific Region, Workshop on Psychological Intervention after Disasters, 18-22 February 2012, Beijing, China”.
The event was held by the International Union of Psychological Science, in collaboration with Chinese Psychological Society and ICSU Regional Offices for Asia and the Pacific. Faculty and participants were coming from Germany, Netherlands, United States, China and Indonesia, also from Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand.
The photos of the presentation and poster’s abstract presented by Suriastini are as follows:
Suriastini presented the research chaired by Prof. Joop T de Jong, VU University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
Faculties and Participants, from the right include: Ass. Prof. Abigail Gewirtz, University of Minnesota USA; Bondan Sikoki, MA , Director SurveyMETER, Indoneisa; Prof. Rainer K Silbereisen, University of Jena, Germany, President of the International Union of Psychological Science(IUPsyS)
Questioned from Prof. Kan Zhang, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vice President of the IUPsyS
Suraistini answered the question
Suriastini with Bondan Sikoki, Director SurveyMETER
Abstract
Stress and Trauma Recovery in Post 2010 Mount Merapi Eruption: a Case Study
By
Wayan Suriastini(SurveyMETER)
Bondan Sikoki (SurveyMETER)
Nur Suci Arnashanti (SurveyMETER)
Presented at Asia-Pacific Workshop 2012: Building Capacity for Psychological Intervention after Disasters in the Asia and Pacific Region Workshop on Psychological Intervention after Disasters, 18-22 February 2012, Beijing, China
In time of disaster people not only experience destroyed physical destruction but also experience mental and emotional downturn. Recovery efforts after the dissaster often gives more attention to recovery of physical destruction and lesser attention is given for mental and emotional recovery. During the October-November 2010 Mount Merapi eruption many non government organization involved on early recovery program. One of the organization is Anand Ashram Foundation (Affiliated with United Nations) who conducted an intensive trauma and stress healing program (PPSTK) at a sub village located only 7 km from the Merapi. The Therapy program was conducted for 10 weeks, with 5 times group therapy sessions, every two weeks. The therapy is the Self Empowerment Techniques created by Anand Krishna.
This paper examines the effect of the healing program to mental health of participants in the affected area by comparing the change before and after the program, in the treatment and control area. Individual data of respondents were collected prior the healing program in December 2010 as the baseline data and the same respondents again were interviewed in post healing program in March 2011. The mental health status was observed through PSTD check list and Center for Epidemiological studies Depression scale (CES-D). The difference and difference approach was applied in the analysis.
Self Empowerment Techniques has positive effect on mental health recovery in post 2010 Merapi eruption.
In both areas, treatment and control, exposure of people to the stressor is high, more than 90 percent of the people reported that they hear thundering sound, feel sand, ash rain and sulfur smell during the Merapi eruption. About 76% of the people participate in PPSTK trauma healing, 65% reported practice the techniques in average two times. The difference of difference of the change in treatment and control area indicated that the intensive PPSTK trauma healing program has been significantly reducing 10 out of 17 PSTD symptoms, about 7% -18% reduction. The program has good influence on increased of self confidence including: felt as good as other people (28%) and hopeful about the future(18%) .
Reporter: Dr. N. W. Suriastini, Translator: Nugroho Angkasa
