Disaster Relief

Mental Health Consequences of Disaster
Types of Disasters
Disaster Resource Organizations
Relief Model Documents
Fact Sheets

Mental Health Consequences of Disaster
The mental health consequences of disaster - both short and long-term for people who are directly and indirectly exposed to crises - are well documented. In addition to illustrating the mental health implications of the acute phase of disaster, research and experience have shown that disasters put large numbers of people at risk of developing longer-term mental health problems. For example:

Two years after the Oklahoma City bombing, 16 percent of children surveyed who lived approximately 100 miles from Oklahoma City reported significant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms related to the event. It's important to note that these children were not directly exposed to the event, nor were they related to injured victims or someone who has lost their life in the bombing. Predictors of stress symptoms in these children included television and media exposure to the disaster, and indirect interpersonal exposure, such as knowing someone who had lost a relative in the bombing (Pfefferbaum, 2000).

A long-term follow-up study of firefighters in South Australia reveals that 21 percent of 459 firefighters who responded to the bush fires had flashbacks that interfered with their lives 29 months after the event (MacFarlane, 1986, 1989).

Physical and mental health are intertwined - each affects the other. In the wake of disaster, both must be addressed to maintain or regain good health. To participate in disaster mental health planning, a person does not have to be a clinician or have an extensive clinical background. As will be illustrated throughout this manual, many different types of organizations and people, with varying skills and experience, have roles to play in disaster mental health planning and response. However, to participate most effectively in disaster mental health planning (or advocate for why it is needed), it is important to have some basic knowledge about the mental health consequences of disaster. What are common psychological responses to disaster that service systems and community organizations should prepare for? What places individuals or communities at greater risk of developing mental health problems as a result of a disaster? When making the case to policymakers and others about the need for measures to mount a strong mental health disaster response, these types of questions are likely to arise. This module discusses common emotional reactions to various types of disaster, as well as reactions that may indicate more serious or longer-term mental health problems. This section also describes factors that can increase or decrease a person's risk for developing mental health problems related to disasters.

Note: This is not a clinical manual. The information in the Blueprint manual is presented for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for informed medical advice or training. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat a mental health problem without consulting a qualified health care or mental health care provider.

Mental Health Disaster Resources: Types of Disasters

Terrorism

War on Terrorism - Deployment Health Clinic Center

Bio-terrorism

Fear of Bio-terrorism and Implications for Public Health Preparedness

Natural Disasters

Emergency Weather Conditions - Information on health and safety precautions for extreme heat and cold, tornado, flood, earthquake, and hurricane. Health Studies Branch of the National Center for Environmental Health, Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mental Health Disaster Resources Organizations

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Emergency and Traumatic Stress

- Information on health and safety precautions for extreme heat and cold, tornado, flood, earthquake, and hurricane. Health Studies Branch of the National Center for Environmental Health, Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tips for Talking About Disasters

Crisis Counseling Program Guidance

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

FEMA en Espanol

FEMA for Kids