Disaster Victims and the Response to Trauma

Disasters are common and widespread. As this chapter is being written, the United States and much of the world have been in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic for well over a year. Not since the Spanish Flu of the 1918 has the world witnessed such profound devastation to life, economies, and threats to social values. Much of the psychological impact of the pandemic remains to be studied, yet early data suggest a profound toll and a robust need for enhanced prevention and treatment resources. The scope, longevity, and nature of the pandemic distinguish it from more proscribed disaster events, but there are mental health impacts common to all disasters. What are the psychological and behavioral effects of disaster or other traumatic events? What are the trajectories of such effects? Who is at risk for significant problems? To what extent and by what means can the adverse sequelae of disaster be prevented or mitigated? How can psychiatrists and other mental health professionals assist in disaster preparedness and response? This chapter will address these issues, especially highlighting the important roles that community psychiatrists and other mental health professionals can play in the pre-, peri-, and post-disaster setting.