Community Consultation Following a Major Air Disaster

United Airlines flight 232 crashed at Sioux City, Iowa on 19 July 1989. The primary rescue workers were the men and women from the 185th Air National Guard Group. Because of the massive death and destruction caused by the crash, a psychiatric consultation team was requested by the U. S. Air Force Surgeon General to assist the Air National Guard personnel. The consultation had four goals: (1) provide consultation to the Air National Guard on the mental health of the community (2) provide direct psychiatric services on an acute basis and referral for follow-up care, if necessary; (3) train mental health personnel as consultants following disasters; and (4) develop and implement a research plan which would address the health consequences of the rescue work, both immediate and long-term. The consultation included community-oriented interventions directed toward reducing the effects of psychological stress on high risk groups. This paper describes the consultations and the one year follow-up.