Psychologist describes the consequences of the Crans-Montana fire disaster

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• Five young people aged between 14 and 18 are being treated at Zurich Children's Hospital following the fire disaster in Crans-Montana, many of whom are still in a coma.
• Psychologist Anna Graf emphasizes that the psychological consequences vary from person to person, but that the majority of those affected are able to cope with their trauma in the long term.
• Support includes individual measures such as keeping a diary, avoiding stimuli and emotional stabilization through familiar rituals and caregivers.

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The head psychologist at Zurich Children's Hospital, Anna Graf, gave a glimmer of hope in an interview: "We know from research that a large proportion of children and adolescents will not experience any serious psychological consequences." Five people injured in the Crans-Montana VS fire disaster are currently being treated at Zurich Children's Hospital.

The number could change continuously due to transfers, Graf told the NZZ am Sonntag. The young people are between 14 and 18 years old, many of them are still in a coma and therefore unresponsive. "We mainly look after the families," said the psychotherapist in the interview on Sunday.

The families had experienced trauma just like the young people. "How people react to something like this is very different," said Graf. There is an increased risk of subsequent disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Those affected experience the trauma again and again and suffer from persistent anxiety and restlessness, among other things.

Stress manifests itself with various symptoms

Most victims of trauma experience an acute stress reaction when they wake up. The terrible situations are relived, which can be accompanied by panic, said the psychotherapist. The nervous system can also remain in a state of alert for a long time. "People are very jumpy, irritable, can't sleep, have no appetite," said Graf. Those affected often say that they feel like they are shrouded in a fog. "They are beside themselves and feel emotionally dull."

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Another symptom is the avoidance of stimuli that remind them of what happened. "One of our patients, for example, repeatedly experiences flashbacks and extreme anxiety at the sight of a closed glass door," says Graf. Due to the hygiene and high temperature required to treat burns, the door cannot simply be left open. However, Graf's team has found a solution with the doctors and nurses so that a glass door can remain open. "The night nurses leave a light on for the patient at night and know her music playlist, which they can switch on for her," says the psychologist.

Talking openly about the experience

According to Graf, the parents are also in a bad way and often suffer from acute stress symptoms like their children. At the same time, they want to give their children support and security. "Incidentally, many parents intuitively do the right thing with their children, they are calm and convey as much security as possible," said Graf.

She encourages caregivers to "listen to the young people and not avoid the stories". Graf said that a diary is kept next to their bed so that the young people can understand the treatment at a later date. Her team, the nursing staff and the parents make notes in it.

"The ways out of the trauma will be very different, and I have respect for each individual fate," said the head psychologist. Some of those affected continue to need psychological support after their months-long stay in hospital, others only return years later. "But most of them will overcome their trauma," said Graf.

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