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No one who experiences a disaster is untouched by it – neither those affected nor those that respond. A key priority is to protect and provide for people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being.
Every individual will experience the same event in a different way and have different resources and capacities to cope. Well integrated and coordinated mental health and psychosocial supports, that build on existing capacities and cultural norms, reach more people and are more likely to be sustained once humanitarian response ceases.
Psychosocial effects
- Physical disability, depression, feelings of worthlessness, loss of control, social withdrawal, frustration, anger, and loss of skills are all likely signs of loss of psychosocial well being.
- These reactions will depend on the nature and scale of the disaster or conflict; the culture, values, individual impacts on those affected; the pre-existing situation, and the available resources and capacities to support recovery.
- More severe psychiatric conditions may emerge including severe depression, psychosis, danger to self or others, mania, and epilepsy. However, many of those with urgent psychiatric complaints will have a pre-existing condition.
Core principles for interventions
1. Human rights and dignity: promote rights; protect individuals; promote equity
2. Participation: encourage those resilient enough to participate in relief efforts
3. Do No Harm: avoid potential risks e.g. encouraging dependency
4. Build on available resources and capacities: using local assets and self-help
5. Integrated support systems: avoid stand-alone services
6. Multi-layered supports: (see side-bar)
Actions in immediate disaster aftermath and response phase
Social considerations:
- Provide simple, sensitive, reliable information on the emergency.
- Support family tracing and reunification.
- Resettle family groups together.
- Train staff in dealing sensitively with grief, stress, confusion and suicide prevention.
- Involve communities in the design and re-establishment of religious, social and community facilities and events.
- Allow time for ceremonious funerals.
- Organise culturally and contextually appropriate recreation for children.
- Resume educational activities.
- Engage communities in concrete activities and include widows, orphans and those without families in all activities.
- Provide calm, simple public information on normal reactions to stress and trauma.
Psychosocial provisions:
- Manage psychiatric conditions within the existing primary health care system and assist with provision of drugs and treatments, appropriate to the local context.
- Support acute mental health conditions through listening and compassion, access to basic services, family and community support, and protection from distress.
- Provide training and promote non-intrusive community based emotional support through volunteer community workers.
Adapted from Mental Health in Emergencies © 2003 WHO, Dept of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, .
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