DEAR Blog
Disaster Experiential Activity and Reflection
Project by Noah Hass-Cohen, Psy.D., Alliant International University School of Professional Psychology
Contributors: Jeremy Arzt, M.A.; Joanna Clyde Findley, M.A.; Anya Kavanaugh, B.F.A;
Alliant International University, Couples and Family Therapy, Crisis and Trauma course students
April 25, 2015
March 18, 2014: Missing Malaysia Flight
Background
-
On March 8, 2014, a Malaysia Airline plane, flight MH370, lost contact with air control staff and went missing.
-
The flight was traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
-
An extensive search of the Southern Indian Ocean has been conducted since the date the plane went missing, and search crew are still active today.
-
In July of 2015, a flaperon was discovered thousands of miles away from the search site and was later confirmed to be from the missing Malaysian plane.
-
The combined search budget for the search is $93 million and has been financed by the Australian and Malaysian governments, with Australia contributing over 75%.
Death and Injury
-
The missing flight carried 239 passengers and crew members.
​Psychological Impact
-
With the passengers of the plane missing, many families and loved ones have been experiencing the sudden impact of the trauma of ambiguous loss, which creates feelings of uncertainty and confusion.
-
There is no evidence of any immediate psychological relief offered to the victim’s families, as far as formal therapeutic services.
-
These families have since created their own tight knit community, offering support and hope to one another. The group has labeled itself Voice 370, and has published messages and letters on various news outlets.
