CONFRONTATIONS WITH REALITY - CRISIS-INTERVENTION SERVICES FOR TRAUMATIZED FAMILIES AFTER A SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT IN NORWAY

In August 1988 a Swedish schoolbus with 23 children and 11 adult passe ngers crashed into a funnel wall in Norway Twelve children and four pa rents died, 18 of the passengers survived. The victims' relatives (par ents, spouses, siblings, and others) were transported to Norway and gi ven a ''confronting'' support program al the University hospital in Be rgen. The crisis intervention program is described: how the relatives were helped to confront and actively cope with some of the stressful s ituations from which traumatized families very often are protected. On e year later 42 of the relatives answered a questionnaire evaluating t he confronting support program that was offered during their stay in N orway. A majority of the respondents did not regret their participatio n in the program. The answers indicate that passivity and helplessness can be counteracted through a combination of confrontation with reali ty and emotional support.