The 921 Earthquake: Developing a group intervention program for affected soldiers in the Taiwanese military

Military troops are often expected to be tough even under critical conditions. Those stereotyped expectations could cause extra stress to people serve in the military. This group intervention program was designed to assist soldiers who participated in rescue work after the main shock of the 921 Earthquake. Many of them experienced symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder. Two program evaluation tools were also developed to assess program effectiveness. This program provides affected soldiers a safe place to express their negative feelings and emotions toward the traumatic event. Group members indicate that normalization serves as a protective factor to them. Knowing their physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions are normal for people under abnormal situations is a great relief for them.