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Stress in an Emergency
Stress is a leading cause of anxiety and other disorders and is one of the major occupational hazards for childcare workers. Stress is caused when the demands exceed the ability to adapt or cope, or when facing an unexpected threat or challenge. Noise, responsibility for children’s welfare, and inadequate break times are just a few of the challenges that can be stressors for those who care for children on a daily basis.
Emergency situations can be particularly alarming, resulting in intense stress for both caregivers and children. However, having an emergency plan in place will reduce confusion and stress in such situations.
Stress Signals
When stress occurs, the body releases two chemicals into the bloodstream, adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline causes an increase in the heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in more rapid breathing, tense muscles, and increased blood flow to the brain, heart, and muscles. Mental alertness increases when adrenaline is released; and levels of blood sugar, fats, cholesterol, platelets and blood clotting all increase as well. Cortisol is a powerful stress hormone that depresses the immune system and can lower resistance to disease.
These chemicals help the body respond more efficiently to the threat or challenge that caused the stress. This is the typical “fight or flight” response. Over time and with repeated exposure, adrenaline and cortisol can cause physical changes in the body and can affect the brain. Just as pounding waves change the shape of a shoreline, the repeated surges of adrenaline and cortisol can program a person’s body to stay in a hyper-alert or reactive mode and cause physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral changes. This is particularly true when stress is ongoing and the body does not have sufficient opportunity to regain balance, as is often the case during an emergency.
Children also are vulnerable to stress. Often, the younger the child, the more vulnerable to the cumulative effects of stress she will be. Children, especially infants, feel stress from noise, fatigue, wet diapers, hunger, loneliness, intrusion into their toys and/or play space, and/or the aggression of other children.
Signs of Stress
Learning to recognize the signs of stress and promptly addressing them can help in emergency situations. In adults, these signs include feeling anxious, depression, appetite changes, headaches, frequent colds and illnesses, skin eruptions, asthma, heart disease, and digestive problems. Other common signs include confusion, frustration, worry, pacing, crying, swearing, decreased memory, impaired concentration, and indecisiveness.
The symptoms of stress in children depend greatly on their ages and individual temperaments. Crying, clinginess, irritability, fretting and frowning, change in appetite, withdrawing from interaction, aggression, excessive energy or restlessness, stomachaches and headaches, regression to less mature behaviors, and nervous behaviors such as nail biting, thumb sucking and hair twirling, can all be signs of stress.
Stress Reduction in Times of Stress
When infants and children are stressed in childcare, the adult caregivers get stressed even more! Quality childcare means assuming the roles of protector, teacher, and role model; and those roles may have exaggerated importance in an emergency or an evacuation. Managing stress requires change and action. In order to reduce stress for children, adults first need to take measures to reduce their own stress and maintain mental stability; but these steps can be difficult to accomplish during an emergency.
Humor and laughter can relieve stress. Laughter is one of the easiest stress reducers to do, and it works for both children and adults. Did you know that children laugh approximately 400 times a day as opposed to adults, who laugh about fifteen times a day? Laughter releases the body’s own natural painkillers, decreases blood pressure and muscle tension, increases oxygen to the cells, stimulates the immune system and promotes positive thinking. Learn to value and encourage humor, and think of ways to incorporate laughter into the childcare setting, particularly in times of an emergency.
Planning
Developing comprehensive emergency plans and discussing them with staff, parents, and children can create a sense of confidence. Practice evacuations and other drills to increase comfort levels and familiarity of the staff and children. Adults can be models for children by remaining calm and continuing routine activities whenever possible during an emergency. Identify children or staff with conditions that might increase their stress levels and plan to give them extra attention during emergencies.
Emergencies are bound to occur in any setting, and both preventive steps and preparedness are essential. However, it also is important to remember that extreme catastrophic occurrences are rare. A local childcare health consultant or your public health department may provide you with technical assistance and other resources for emergency preparedness and stress reduction.
Ritamarie Giosa, RN
Childcare Health Consultant Coordinator, Camden County, New Jersey Division for Children
Resources
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave. SW , Washington, D.C. 20201; 202-619-0257; www.hhs.gov/disasters/index.shtml
Internet Resources
Information on stress relievers in an emergency, http://counseling.njit.edu/stress.html
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