Fondamenti di Psicologia dell’emergenza

[Autom. eng. transl.] Understanding the psychic processes that affect people and groups involved (directly and indirectly) in road accidents, assaults, anthropogenic or natural disasters is a significant priority for those who want to prevent risky behavior, help people in crisis, rebuild and repair trauma. Within a society that is ever more attentive to risks and at the same time increasingly exposed to dangers, emergency psychology has been characterized in recent years by its rapid and important development. In fact, its crucial role in designing and implementing preventive, timely and far-sighted interventions has been recognized, even in Italy. In particular, methodologies and good practices have been developed and verified. A good sensitivity on the emotional, cognitive and social aspects involved in the interpersonal dynamics in an emergency has spread, also at the cultural and public opinion level. The experiences have also raised new questions, showing how extreme conditions can teach a lot, even on the ordinary functioning of the mind and of human groups. The time has therefore come to share, compare and discuss the scientific research and reflections gained in this field. The volume thus traces a picture of the state of the art on human behavior in emergency situations, in particular highlighting the critical issues of the problems faced, the hypotheses put forward, verified and rejected by the researchers; the results on which consensus currently exists; the questions that remain open; the most accredited research methodologies and the crucial concepts needed to reflect on the problems faced. A text therefore, capable of giving foundation to the operative choices of emergency psychologists and to the new developments that this lively discipline is preparing to build.