CRISIS SUPPORT FOLLOWING THE HERALD OF FREE-ENTERPRISE DISASTER - A LONGITUDINAL PERSPECTIVE

Crisis support was assessed with survivors of the Herald of Free Enter prise ferry sinking at 3 and 6 years postdisaster. It was found that r eported levels of support received from family and friends decreased o ver the first 3 years after the event but increased over the subsequen t 3 years. In addition, higher retrospective ratings of crisis support received in the immediate aftermath of the disaster were found to pre dict lower levels of posttraumatic symptomatology as assessed by the I mpact of Event Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trai t Anxiety Inventory at a later period The results replicate earlier fi ndings following the Jupiter Cruise ship disaster and are thought to h ave implications for the assessment and treatment of survivors at high risk of disturbance.