Art therapy is an effective tool for working with both adults and children coping with trauma because it bypasses the disconnection trauma can cause between memories of the event and the verbal regions of the brain. Recently, it has been used to treat children affected by large-scale disaster events.
Amidst discussions of how to maximize physician contributions in high-risk disaster situations, the author asks if doctors are actually duty-bound to contribute at all.
Health care policy changes are needed to minimize the risk to physicians responding to public health emergencies and aid in their longer-term responsibility of protecting and promoting the nation's health.