This section was just filled with interesting findings by those working in the field. The idea that denial plays a huge role was something I just hadn't considered (despite having helped create coursework in risk communication). Peter Sandman (who I have listened to give lectures) gave very interesting guidelines on how to combat denial. Of course the hope is that we never reach the point where people are "shutting down" in order to avoid the problem but if we do cross that line it is crucial to snap them out of it so they can make informed decisions to help increase their odds of survival.
The very outline he gave helps me to rationalize actions many people take (the initial overreaction explains the sudden proliferation of surgical masks for instance). The denial helps to show why people refuse to get vaccination or go in for examination when they fear they may have the disease. It is very problematic especially when it comes to stopping the spread of a disease for people to take exposure precautions and to avoid exposing others when they may be contagious - denial blocks these basic foundations for controlling a pandemic.
The bland reassurances which were heard during the 1918 flu helped to show how we could lose the trust necessary to influence the ma****. The idea that we should legitimize fear as a tool to break out of denial seems to fly in the face of our managed communication approach. I am pleased to hear that we have looked deeper into the problem and realized that our first area of fear is not panic but instead irrational behavior due to denial.
The five stages of reaction gave me a bit more insight into how people are dealing with the disaster. Having approached things more from a public health response viewpoint it was a treatment/aid model. This helps me to juxtapose a more familiar model of the stages of grief into the stages of reaction. This can help me to better understand just where people may be at in regards to their reactions to the disaster and how I can help them to feel their concerns are addressed at each different stage.
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