Abstract
After the earthquake and tsunami that struck the south-central Chile on February 27, 2010, it is necessary to anticipate the psychological consequences of disasters such causes in the population. This paper reviews the results of various studies worldwide in order to understand these consequences, focusing mainly on posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], their characteristics, prevalence, risk factors and interventions used for prevention and treatment. Then, we propose a model of narrative intervention, enriched by the contributions of studies on emotional expression and social support in the prevention of this disorder. This proposal has been tried before successfully for the prevention of PTSD and associated symptoms in women with breast cancer.
