TY - JOUR
T1 - Acute response to the October 7th hostage release
T2 - rapid development and evaluation of the novel ReSPOND protocol implementation within a children’s hospital
AU - de la Fontaine, Naama
AU - Silberg, Tamar
AU - Fegert, Jörg M.
AU - Tsafrir, Shlomit
AU - Weisman, Hana
AU - Rubin, Noa
AU - Ashkenazi, Moshe
AU - Nacasch, Nitsa
AU - Polliack, Michael L.
AU - Chen, Wendy
AU - Herman-Raz, Meirav
AU - Wachsberg-Lachmanovich, Ronit
AU - Pessach-Gelblum, Liat
AU - Ziv, Amitai
AU - Moshkovitz, Anat
AU - Shilo, Noya
AU - Frenkel-Nir, Yael
AU - Gothelf, Doron
AU - Pessach, Itai M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Background: The decision to allocate hospitals for the initial reception of hostages abducted on the October 7th Hamas attack introduced an array of unprecedented challenges. These challenges stemmed from a paucity of existing literature and protocols, lack of information regarding captivity conditions, and variability in hostage characteristics and circumstances. Objective: To describe the rapid development, implementation and evaluation of the Hostage-ReSPOND protocol, a comprehensive trauma-informed procedure for the care of hostages, including young children, their caregivers and families, immediately following their release from prolonged captivity. Methods: A multidisciplinary expert focus group conducted a comprehensive literature review to develop the ReSPOND protocol, consisting of: Readiness of teams via multifaceted trainings, utilizing live simulations and video debriefings; Specialized professional teams experienced in providing holistic trauma-informed care; Personalized care tailored to individualized and developmentally-informed needs; Optimal safety rooted in creating a secure environment and trauma-informed response to young children, adolescents, caregivers and families; and Navigating Discharge, through coordination with community-based care systems. Results: A designated facility at the Children’s hospital was carefully prepared for receiving 29 hostages, aged 3.9–80 years, 28% under the age of 18. Implementation of the ReSPOND protocol, which prioritized holistic psychosocial interventions above urgent medical care, proved feasible and effective in managing the diverse and complex needs of returnees as per provider report. Finally, systemic assessment of returnee’s immediate and long-term mental health needs proved highly challenging. Conclusions: There is currently no literature addressing the response to released hostages, especially those involving infants, young children and families within a children’s hospital facility. This study has the potential to fill a crucial gap in knowledge by introducing a novel protocol which could offer valuable insights for public health organizations tasked with providing acute care to diverse individuals and families experiencing extreme, multi-layered mass traumatization.
AB - Background: The decision to allocate hospitals for the initial reception of hostages abducted on the October 7th Hamas attack introduced an array of unprecedented challenges. These challenges stemmed from a paucity of existing literature and protocols, lack of information regarding captivity conditions, and variability in hostage characteristics and circumstances. Objective: To describe the rapid development, implementation and evaluation of the Hostage-ReSPOND protocol, a comprehensive trauma-informed procedure for the care of hostages, including young children, their caregivers and families, immediately following their release from prolonged captivity. Methods: A multidisciplinary expert focus group conducted a comprehensive literature review to develop the ReSPOND protocol, consisting of: Readiness of teams via multifaceted trainings, utilizing live simulations and video debriefings; Specialized professional teams experienced in providing holistic trauma-informed care; Personalized care tailored to individualized and developmentally-informed needs; Optimal safety rooted in creating a secure environment and trauma-informed response to young children, adolescents, caregivers and families; and Navigating Discharge, through coordination with community-based care systems. Results: A designated facility at the Children’s hospital was carefully prepared for receiving 29 hostages, aged 3.9–80 years, 28% under the age of 18. Implementation of the ReSPOND protocol, which prioritized holistic psychosocial interventions above urgent medical care, proved feasible and effective in managing the diverse and complex needs of returnees as per provider report. Finally, systemic assessment of returnee’s immediate and long-term mental health needs proved highly challenging. Conclusions: There is currently no literature addressing the response to released hostages, especially those involving infants, young children and families within a children’s hospital facility. This study has the potential to fill a crucial gap in knowledge by introducing a novel protocol which could offer valuable insights for public health organizations tasked with providing acute care to diverse individuals and families experiencing extreme, multi-layered mass traumatization.
KW - Acute response
KW - Acute trauma protocol
KW - Child abduction
KW - Childhood trauma
KW - Hospital disaster response
KW - Hostages
KW - Multilayered trauma
KW - Parent trauma
KW - Trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85196396534&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-024-00767-3
DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-024-00767-3
M3 - مقالة
C2 - 38902765
SN - 1753-2000
VL - 18
JO - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
JF - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
IS - 1
M1 - 76
ER -
