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Biomedical subjects

Shabtai Noy

Publications and source records attributed to Shabtai Noy.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

[Early dissemination of information: an essential ingredient in the prevention of biological warfare].

A primary prevention program is the most efficient component in the protection against biological warfare. This paper presents the early dissemination of information to the public and the interpretation of the biological threat as an essential ingredient in such a prevention program. This critical ingredient may dictate the success or failure of the protective actions. Early exposition of the threat to the public and explanation of its traits and direction to the coping process leads the public to adaptive coping behavior, thus ensuring lower prevalence of somatic and psychological casualties. The lack of such early detailed information about both the threat and the direction for coping behavior may lead to unadaptive behavior and a potential high prevalence of physical and psychic casualties, far beyond the treatment capacity of the medical system. Furthermore, it may lead to mistrust in the leadership, followed by the disintegration of the social system and the democracy.

Biological Warfare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Minimizing casualties in biological and chemical threats (war and terrorism): the importance of information to the public in a prevention program.

The most effective means of defending against biological or chemical warfare, whether in war or as a result of terror, is the use of primary prevention. The main goal of such a prevention program is to minimize the human loss by reducing the number of casualties (fatalities, physical wounds, and psychological injury). A secondary objective is to prevent the widespread sense of helplessness in the general population. These two aims complement each other. The more the public is active in defending itself, rather than viewing itself as helpless, the lesser the expected number of casualties of any kind. In order to achieve these two goals, educating the civilian population about risk factors and pointing out appropriate defensive strategies is critical. In the absence of an effective prevention program and active participation by the public, there is a high risk for massive numbers of physical and psychological casualties. An essential ingredient of any preventive program, which ultimately may determine the success or failure of all other protective actions, is early, gradual dissemination of information and guidance to the public, so that citizens can become active participants in the program. The public needs to be given information concerning the nature of the threat and effective methods of coping with it, should an unconventional attack occur. Lack of such adaptive behavior (such as wearing protective gear) is likely to bring about vast numbers of physical and psychological casualties. These large numbers may burden the medical, political, and public safety systems beyond their ability to manage. Failure to provide reasonable prevention and effective interventions can lead to a destruction of the social and emotional fabric of individuals and the society. Furthermore, inadequate preparation, education, and communication can result in the development of damaging mistrust of the political and military leadership, disintegration of social and political structures, and perhaps, even risk the collapse of the democracy.

Biological Warfare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The traumatic process: conceptualization and treatment.

Traumatic stress stems from a threat to an individual's or a group's very existence. The impact of the existential threat may be compounded by an inability to cope, which affects the perception of helplessness and loss of lawfulness. A model is proposed in which the traumatic process is conceptualized to develop through three stages: (1) alert; (2) impact; and (3) post-trauma. In this model, treatment of traumatic stress emphasizes the need to control and expand life, and to achieve lawfulness and meaningfulness. In the proposed model of treatment, there are essential differences at each of the stages of the traumatic process: (1) primary prevention at the stage of alert focuses on planning strategies for coping; (2) secondary prevention at the stage of impact is based on forward treatment and debriefing; and (3) tertiary treatment at the post-trauma stage attends to coping with internal chaos and arbitrariness.

Crisis Intervention↗