Disaster psychiatry

Disaster psychiatry is a field of psychiatry which focuses on responding to natural disasters, climate change, school shootings, large accidents, public health emergencies, and their associated community-wide disruptions and mental health implications.[1] All disasters, regardless of exact type, are characterized by disruption: disruption of family and community support structures, threats to personal safety, and an overwhelming of available support resources.[2] Disaster psychiatry is a crucial component of disaster preparedness, aiming to mitigate both immediate and prolonged psychiatric challenges. Its primary objective is to diminish acute symptoms and long-term psychiatric morbidity by minimizing exposure to stressors, offering education to normalize responses to trauma, and identifying individuals vulnerable to future psychiatric illness.[3]

  1. ^ Norwood, Ann E.; Ursano, Robert J.; Fullerton, Carol S. (2000). "Disaster Psychiatry: Principles and Practice". Psychiatric Quarterly. 71 (3): 207–226. doi:10.1023/A:1004678010161. ISSN 0033-2720. PMID 10934746. S2CID 21207487.
  2. ^ Textbook of disaster psychiatry (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge university press. 2017. ISBN 978-1-107-13849-0.
  3. ^ Norwood, Ann E.; Ursano, Robert J.; Fullerton, Carol S. (2000-09-01). "Disaster Psychiatry: Principles and Practice". Psychiatric Quarterly. 71 (3): 208. doi:10.1023/A:1004678010161. ISSN 1573-6709.