''The statement cautioned U.S. psychologists against travelling to a
disaster-affected country unless they were invited, experienced, worked
from a public health or community perspective, and were prepared to
provide program support, not direct interventions. The statement also
cautioned psychologists to know about and follow
internationally-developed guidelines and standards for disaster relief.'', Bullock says. For full text of the statement:
http://www.apa.org/international/resources/info/emergency-statement.aspxIt has important messages for psychologists from other countries as well who are interested to come to Nepal to support earthquake affected people. As she mentions, psychologists from outside Nepal can contribute to
sustainable recovery through research on disaster response, recovery and
preparation by lending their expertise to training/educational efforts, and not being involved in interventions without adequate information about context and needs of the people.
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With Best Regards,
Sujen Man Maharjan