Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2440/77653
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Type: Journal article
Title: Mental health services required after disasters: Learning from the lasting effects of disasters
Author: McFarlane, A.
Williams, R.
Citation: Depression Research and Treatment, 2012; 2012:1-13
Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Issue Date: 2012
ISSN: 2090-1321
2090-133X
Statement of
Responsibility: 
A. C. McFarlane and Richard Williams
Abstract: Disasters test civil administrations’ and health services’ capacity to act in a flexible but well-coordinated manner because each disaster is unique and poses unusual challenges. The health services required differ markedly according to the nature of the disaster and the geographical spread of those affected. Epidemiology has shown that services need to be equipped to deal with major depressive disorder and grief, not just posttraumatic stress disorder, and not only for victims of the disaster itself but also the emergency service workers. The challenge is for specialist advisers to respect and understand the existing health care and support networks of those affected while also recognizing their limitations. In the initial aftermath of these events, a great deal of effort goes into the development of early support systems but the longer term needs of these populations are often underestimated. These services need to be structured, taking into account the pre-existing psychiatric morbidity within the community. Disasters are an opportunity for improving services for patients with posttraumatic psychopathology in general but can later be utilized for improving services for victims of more common traumas in modern society, such as accidents and interpersonal violence.
Description: Extent: 13p.
Rights: Copyright © 2012 A. C. McFarlane and Richard Williams. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
DOI: 10.1155/2012/970194
Published version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/970194
Appears in Collections:Aurora harvest 4
Psychiatry publications

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