Behavioral Health Response to Disasters

Disasters can cause long-term disruptions to the routines of individuals and communities, placing survivors at risk of developing serious mental health and substance abuse problems. Disaster behavioral health services provide emotional support, help normalize stress reactions, assess recovery options, and encourage healthy coping behaviors. They also connect survivors to community resources that can assist the recovery process. Today’s increasing frequency and intensity of disasters merit greater focus on the development of modalities for intervention and mitigation against the psychological impacts of disaster.

In Behavioral Health Response to Disasters, professionals with years of practice, research, and national advisory board service review and discuss key topics in the field. Highlighting the themes of cultural competence and evidence-based practice, this volume:

• Presents an interdisciplinary approach to examining specific disaster behavioral health topics
• Considers how an individual’s culture may impact willingness to seek out and accept services
• Incorporates research on vulnerable or at-risk populations who are likely to suffer disproportionately more adverse psychological consequences of disaster
• Discusses clinical studies of cognitive behavioral treatments for disaster-related distress and post-traumatic stress disorder

In the past two decades, disaster behavioral health research, policy, and practice have grown exponentially. This volume covers the wide variety of issues in this emerging field, highlighting concerns that we must address in order to create more disaster-resilient communities.