The document provides resources on helping children and young adults who have experienced traumatic events. It discusses priorities after a traumatic event such as reestablishing safety, having a trusted person to be with, meeting basic needs, rest, and talking based on the individual's needs. It then summarizes guidelines from Mental Health First Aid on talking to children after trauma, what to do if a child reports abuse, and dealing with behavioral issues. The guidelines also discuss potential professional help and additional supports needed for adolescents.

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Resources on children and young adults
in traumatizing circumstances
Torben Bergland, MD, psychiatrist | Associate Director
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Health Ministries Department

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Priorities in and after traumatic events
n Reestablish sense of safety
n Having someone safe to be with
n Provide for basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, etc.)
n Time to sleep and rest
n Space to talk based on the needs of the individual

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MHFA GUIDELINES:
TRAUMATIC EVENTS (CHILDREN)
What are the first priorities for helping a child after a
traumatic event?
What are the priorities if I am helping after a mass
traumatic event?
How do I talk to a child who has experienced a
traumatic event?
A child has told me that they are being abused. What
should I do?
Dealing with temper tantrums and avoidance
behaviours
Should the child receive professional help?
Source:
https://mhfa.com.au/mental-health-first-aid-guidelines
https://mhfa.com.au/sites/default/files/traumatic_events_children_-
_mhfa_guidelines_2021_0.pdf
TRAUMATIC EVENTS (CHILDREN): MHFA GUIDELINES
Traumatic Events (Children): MHFA Guidelines, 2021 © Mental Health First Aid International 1
WHAT IS A TRAUMATIC EVENT?
A ‘traumatic event’ is any incident experienced by the person that is perceived to be traumatic.
Common examples of traumas that affect individuals include accidents (such as traffic, car or
physical accidents), assault (including physical or sexual assault, mugging or robbery, or
family violence), and witnessing something terrible happen. Mass traumatic events include
terrorist attacks, mass shootings, and severe weather events (hurricane, tsunami, forest and
bush fire).
If mental health first aid is being provided by a parent, the parental role
takes precedence over the first aid role.
Please note there are separate guidelines for assisting adults who have experienced traumatic
events.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN DIFFER A LOT IN HOW
THEY REACT TO TRAUMATIC EVENTS:
• One person may perceive an event as deeply traumatic, while another does not.
• Particular types of traumas may affect some individuals more than others.
• A history of trauma may make some people more susceptible to later traumatic
events, while others become more resilient as a result.
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID MIGHT NOT ALWAYS OCCUR IMMEDIATELY
AFTER THE TRAUMATIC EVENT.
FOR INSTANCE, THERE ARE OTHER SORTS OF TRAUMAS THAT ARE NOT
SINGLE DISCRETE INCIDENTS:
• Common examples of recurring trauma include sexual, physical or emotional abuse,
torture, and bullying in the schoolyard or workplace. In these cases, mental health
first aid guidelines will be used when the first aider becomes aware of what has been
happening.
• Sometimes the memories of a traumatic event suddenly or unexpectedly return,
weeks, months or even years afterwards. Again, mental health first aid guidelines will
be used when the first aider becomes aware of this.

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MHFA GUIDELINES:
TRAUMATIC EVENTS (ADULTS)
TRAUMATIC EVENTS (ADULTS): MHFA GUIDELINES
Traumatic Events (Adults): MHFA Guidelines, 2021 © Mental Health First Aid International 1
ASSISTING A PERSON FOLLOWING A POTENTIALLY
TRAUMATIC EVENT
WHAT IS A POTENTIALLY TRAUMATIC EVENT?
A potentially traumatic event is a powerful and distressing experience that is life threatening
or poses a significant threat to a person’s physical or psychological well-being. Many events,
past and present, have the potential to be traumatic, but not all events commonly perceived
as traumatic will cause extreme distress for an individual. Some common examples of
events that have the potential to cause trauma include interpersonal violence (including
family violence, child abuse, elder abuse, physical or sexual assault, mugging or robbery),
accidents (such as traffic or workplace accidents), and witnessing something terrible happen.
Mass traumatic events include war, torture, terrorist attacks, mass shootings, and severe
weather events (flood, earthquake, hurricane, tsunami, forest and bush fire). Sudden
memories of previous events can also cause trauma.
Indirect exposure can also cause trauma, for example witnessing others experiencing a
traumatic event, learning that a traumatic event occurred to someone else, or repeated or
extreme exposure to details of traumatic events.
HOW MIGHT SOMEONE REACT TO A POTENTIALLY TRAUMATIC EVENT?
It is important to know the initial responses that are common following a potentially
traumatic event. However, be aware that people can react very differently and you should
not expect any particular reaction. You should know what signs and symptoms can indicate
there is a problem after such an event, and also the range of symptoms that can occur long-
term (see box below). You should also be aware that cultural differences may impact the
way people respond, e.g. in some cultures, expressing vulnerability or grief around strangers
is not considered appropriate.
It is common for people to feel greatly distressed immediately following a potentially
traumatic event. People often experience emotional upset, increased anxiety, and
disturbance to sleep or appetite. Other reactions might include sadness, guilt, fear or
anger. Usually these reactions settle down within a month. Only some people go on to
develop a mental illness.
ACUTE STRESS DISORDER AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER1
The symptoms of acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder are similar.
A major symptom is re-experiencing the trauma. This may be in the form of recurrent
dreams of the event, flashbacks, intrusive memories or distress in situations that bring
back memories of the original trauma. There is avoidance behaviour, such as persistent
avoidance of things (e.g. people, places, conversations, activities, objects, situations)
associated with the event, which may continue for months or years. There are also
persistent symptoms of increased emotional distress (constant watchfulness, jumpiness,
being easily startled, irritability, aggression, insomnia). The person may also overly blame
How might someone react to a potentially traumatic
event?
Acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress
disorder
What to do at the site of a potentially traumatic event
How should I talk with someone who has experienced
a potentially traumatic event?
What not to do
How can I support the person over the next few
weeks or months?
When should the person seek professional help?
What additional supports do adolescents need?
Source:
https://mhfa.com.au/mental-health-first-aid-guidelines
https://mhfa.com.au/sites/default/files/traumatic_events_adult_-
_mhfa_guidelines_2021_1.pdf

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NAD’s Mental Health Series
Depression
Anxiety
Suicide/Harm
Getting Help
Recovery Tools
Brain Training
Source:
https://www.oneteammentalhealth.org/learn/downloads
"There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper
and more hurtful than anything that bleeds." -Laurell K. Hamilton
MH | 01
W h a t i t i s , w h a t i t i s n ' t , a n d h o w t o s t a r t o n y o u r j o u r n e y t o h e a l i n g
DEPRESSION

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Other resources
n Youth Alive
n https://youthaliveportal.org/mentalhealth
n National Institute of Mental health
n https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/coping-with-traumatic-events
n https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
n American Psychological Association
n https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience/kids-war
n American Psychiatric Association
n https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd

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Torben Bergland, MD, psychiatrist
Associate Director
GC Health Ministries
berglandt@gc.adventist.org