The effects of a disaster, terrorist attack, or other public
health emergency can be long-lasting, and the resulting trauma
can reverberate even with those not directly affected by the
disaster. This page provides general strategies for promoting
mental health and resilience that were developed by various
organizations based on experiences in prior disasters
REPEAT is designed to help hospitals and clinics assess their
capacity to deal with the surge of psychological causalities
resulting from large-scale emergencies, (including terrorist
incidents, natural disasters, and other public health
emergencies). Key members of your facility’s disaster response
team (e.g., disaster response coordinators, department directors)
should complete this assessment periodically to identify which
preparedness and response activities have been implemented.
Results can be used to evaluate disaster planning and to identify
areas to target for improving the facility’s response capability.
Successful disaster mental health activities will depend on the
operational area and local capabilities. Many of the strategies
can be deployed prior to an incident, as part of efforts to
improve resiliency.
Emergency department staff can use this triage tool to determine
who needs urgent or nonurgent psychological assessment and to
decide how to station mental health staff in the most efficient
and effective manner. The tool is for use in “clean”
(nonisolated) zones.
Disasters can bring about significant stress. While many
people have experience coping with stressful events, it is common
to experience a variety of reactionsfollowing a disaster. The
American Red Cross has developed this informational resource to
assist in recognizing emotional health issues following a
disaster.
Large-scale disasters can stress the capacity of hospitals and
clinics to deal with the psychological consequences of the events
for patients, families, and staff members. Health care facilities
usually have general disaster plans for dealing with the medical
consequences of emergencies however, most of their disaster plans
do not address the psychological consequences of such events.
This training manual is designed to fill the gap by providing a
curriculum that can be used to train hospital and clinic staff
about how to prepare for and respond to the psychological
consequences of large-scale disasters. The training has three
modules that are intended to be used either as standalone
training or in combination depending on the facility and audience
needs.
Resources addressing the effects that natural and man-made
disasters can have on citizen’s mental and behavioral health.
This website contains information, recommendations and guidance
on how to handle personal and community crisis situations, as
well as how to bounce back from a crisis.
As a parent, you are in the best position to help your child in
the event of a disaster. Just as you talk to your child’s doctor
about his or her health, such as what to do when your child is
sick or hurt, you can also talk to your child’s doctor, mental
health professional, or someone at your child’s school who can
help you and your child after a disaster.
