Harold Pass, PhD was quoted extensively in a recent Village Times Herald article about the potentially damaging psychological effects of the disaster in Japan on people who live on Long Island.
Noting that different people are affected in different ways, Dr. Pass suggests that people who have been exposed to trauma -- such as 9/11 rescue workers -- or people with existing psychological disorders might be especially susceptible to anxiety in the wake of the upsetting news coming out of Japan. Children too young to understand what is going on may also be at risk and should be monitored for changes in mood, behavior or sleep. Anyone experiencing negative symptoms, he recommends, should seek help from a trusted colleague, partner or friend, and, if the symptoms are severe, should seek professional help.
Dr. Stephen Post, director of the Medical Center’s Institute for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics, was also quoted at length in the article. He encourages people who are concerned about victims of the disaster to get involved in local relief efforts.
Dr. Pass, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, is the Department’s Director of Psychotherapy Training and chairman of the Medical Center’s Disaster Mental Health Response Committee.
