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December 2022: Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services

December 2022
Volume 85, Number 5

The National Environmental Health Association strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column on environmental health services from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal of Environmental Health.

In these columns, authors from the CDC Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch, as well as guest authors, will share tools, resources, and guidance for environmental health practitioners. The conclusions of these columns are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC.

Using Effective Communication Strategies to Help Teens Manage Stress After Natural Disasters

Traci Augustosky, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Katherine MacKay, MPH, CommunicateHealth
Sabrina Riera, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Vivi Siegel, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Kathleen Walker, CommunicateHealth

According to a 2020 report published by the Society for Research in Child Development, each year more than 175 million children experience natural disasters like floods, severe storms, and earthquakes. In the months following natural disasters, many teens struggle with stress, depression, and anxiety. Yet few resources address the emotional challenges that teens may face in the aftermath of a disaster. To fill this gap, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Environmental Health and CommunicateHealth, an independent health communication and research agency, set out to develop materials that encourage teens to use healthy strategies to cope after experiencing a natural disaster and improve perceptions of social support and solidarity among teens who have experienced natural disasters.

This month's column explores how resources were developed that resonate with teens, including relatable stories and simple coping strategies to help teens manage stress in the aftermath of a disaster.

Read the Column