Psychoeducation for children in a psychiatric ward in the immediate aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan

On 11 March 2011, Japan was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami. There were a number of hospitals in the disaster-affected area, including some with psychiatric and children’s wards. Since all utilities were completely cut off for several days, children in the hospital had no access to information about the disaster. Therefore, they lacked a sense of the gravity of the situation and did not show any signs of panic.

Three models of scaling up mental healthcare post-disaster : common challenges

There are number of challenges in strengthening mental healthcare services in underserved areas post-disaster. The objective of this paper is to identify common challenges by comparing and contrasting three models of scaling up mental healthcare services post-disaster. Primary and secondary data were collected before, during and after mental health programming in Sri Lanka, Haiti and the Philippines.

Prolonged grief disorder following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Highlights

 

• Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) cases will rise following the COVID-19 pandemic

• The pandemic shows similarities to natural disasters which increase PGD prevalence.

• The circumstances of death during the pandemic likely increase PGD prevalence.

• Evidence-based interventions for PGD should be made more accessible.

• Internet-based interventions for PGD should be further developed and disseminated.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic : The ‘black swan’ for mental health care and a turning point for e-health

In February 2020, Duan and Zhu (2020) stressed the need for a solid Chinese evidence-based mental health care system in times of public health emergencies such as the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19). That would enable treatment of people who suffer from mental health problems in relation to the epidemic. The WHO has meanwhile labelled the Coronavirus a pandemic, and it is now hitting Europe, the USA, Australia and Asia hard as well.

A Global Perspective on the Mental Health Response to Terrorism

Abstract. This chapter explores the association between terrorism, mental health and the capacity to provide evidence-based mass casualty intervention from a global perspective. The main message is there are vast differences in these three areas across countries and that, especially the last of the three, variation in service capacity and supportive conditions, influences the chances of implementing evidence-based guidelines.

Morbidity Rates in an Area with High Livestock Density : A Registry-Based Study Including Different Groups of Patients with Respiratory Health Problems

Abstract: There is continuing debate and public health concern regarding the previously confirmed association between high livestock density and human health. The primary aim of the current study is to assess the prevalence of respiratory and other health problems in a livestock dense area in the Netherlands, based on recent longitudinal health data and a large sample.

World Trade Center exposure, post‐traumatic stress disorder, and subjective cognitive concerns in a cohort of rescue/recovery workers

Objective

To determine whether World Trade Center (WTC)‐exposure intensity and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with subjective cognitive change in rescue/recovery workers.

Method

The experience of sudden loss of a colleague or neighbor following the MH17 plane crash in the Ukraine : a qualitative interview study

Background: The literature on loss and traumatic grief after disasters provides findings on the impact of losing a partner, child or close friend on partners, parents and friends. However, little attention has been given to the broader everyday social environment of deceased persons. The present study constitutes a qualitative exploration of the impact on colleagues and neighbors following the MH17 airplane disaster in the Ukraine, July 2014.

 

What First Responders Teach Us About Cumulative Stress

A firefighter/EMS individual I recently saw reported that he had been on the job since he was 18 years old. He recognized that over time and relatively immediately that his cumulative stress impaired his relationships and ability to relate to others. He was having a challenging time maintaining a long-term intimate relationship because he would waver between being irritable and aggressive and becoming cut off and emotionally distant. He described being one of the first on the scene of two car accidents which I was familiar with where children were sadly killed.

The Effect of Psychological First Aid Training on Knowledge and Understanding about Psychosocial Support Principles : A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Psychological first aid (PFA) is a world-wide implemented approach to helping people affected by an emergency, disaster, or other adverse event. Controlled evaluations of PFA’s training effects are lacking. We evaluated the effectiveness of a one-day PFA training on the acquisition and retention of knowledge of appropriate responses and skills in the acute aftermath of adversity in Peripheral Health Units (PHUs) in post-Ebola Sierra Leone. Secondary outcomes were professional quality of life, confidence in supporting a distressed person, and professional attitude.

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