General Precautions

• Do not assume that all survivors have suffered psychological trauma.
• Most survivors show a temporary stress response after a shock, and this is normal. Therefore, expressions such as 'symptom', 'diagnosis', 'mental disorder' should be avoided.
• Do not focus on the mistakes, faults, or weakness of the survivors.
• Some survivors may not want to talk to relief workers.
• If a survivor refuses to help, respect it, let them know when or where they can get help later.
• In the early stages, it is necessary to avoid discussing the disaster experience in detail and to protect against possible psychological trauma (psychological debriefing should not be conducted earlier than 48 hours after the disaster).
• Be sensitive to whether survivors want to maintain their personal space, and if contacting family, reach out to family members first who can serve as spokespeople.