The shared experience of catastrophe: an expanded classification of the disaster community.

Abstract

Based on observational and interview data following a major air crash, a classification of individuals affected by catastrophe is proposed in which degree of involvement is used to characterize the dynamic nature of the disaster community. The model encompasses individual and group activities, roles and relationships, and the shared meaning of the traumatic event. Implications for the identification of neglected participants and for preventive community intervention are offered.