Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
CSTS has played a key role in helping disaster victims and response personnel deal with tragedy.
From the tragedies of the Asian tsunami and Pakistani earthquake abroad to the severe flooding of regions of the U.S. Gulf Coast, people the world over witnessed devastation on a massive scale in 2005.
USU's Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) has been a key player in U.S. efforts to help disaster victims and response personnel cope with tragedy. Under the leadership of internationally renowned clinician and researcher Robert Ursano, M.D., Center staff conduct research, education, consultation and training on preparing for and responding to the psychological and health effects of traumatic events.
Responding to Disaster
In the wake of the Asian tsunami, CSTS worked closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide critical information and consultation on a variety of issues. For example, Center staff conducted briefings for CDC teams preparing to deploy to affected areas.
After Hurricane Katrina, Houston officials, who were preparing to receive the massive influx of survivors, enlisted the Center's help. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration asked CSTS to help their own personnel returning from Hurricane Katrina-related deployments.
Fact Sheets Expand Center's Reach
CSTS researchers captured information from these experiences to create fact sheets that can be broadly distributed among victims, response personnel and healthcare professionals as future needs arise. The fact sheets are part of the Center's broadly successful Courage to Care campaign.
Available on USU's website, Courage to Care fact sheets are customizable so that support group leaders, healthcare providers and other professionals can add local contact information before distributing them.