Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Perspective
  • Published:

Mass catastrophe and disaster psychiatry

Molecular Psychiatry volume 16, pages 247–251 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

This paper discusses the vital role of disaster psychiatry in the evolving structures for preparedness and response in the fields of disaster management. The authors address the role of science and experience in addressing the tragedies of mass catastrophe, the need for systems and the challenges of integrating mental health contributions into the practical requirements for survival, aid, emergency management and ultimately recovery. The human face of disaster and the understanding of human strengths and resilience alongside the protection of, and care for, those suffering profound trauma and grief are central issues.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mollica RF, Cardozo BL, Osofsky HJ, Raphael B, Ager A, Salama P . Mental health in complex emergencies. Lancet 2005; 364: 2058–2067.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kessler RC, Wittchen H . Post-disaster mental health need assessment surveys—the challenge of improved future research. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2008; 17: pS1–pS5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Raphael B . The challenges of purpose in the face of chaos: commentary paper by Professor Beverley Raphael. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2008; 17: S42–S48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Silove D . A conceptual framework for mass trauma: implications for adaptation, intervention and debriefing. In: Raphael B, Wilson J (eds). Psychological Debriefing, vol. 25 Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 2000, pp 337–350.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  5. Furedi F . Fear and security: a vulnerability-led policy response. Soc Policy Admin 2008; 42: 645–661.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ursano RJ, Fullerton CS, Weisaeth L, Raphael B . Individual and community responses to disasters. In: Ursano RJ, Fullerton CS, Weisaeth L, Raphael B (eds). Textbook of Disaster Psychiatry. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 2007.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  7. Pynoos RS, Steinberg AM, Brymer MJ . Children and disasters: public mental health approaches. In: Ursano RJ, Fullerton CS, Weisaeth L, Raphael B (eds). Textbook of Disaster Psychiatry, vol. 3 Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp 48–68.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  8. Asia Australia Mental Health and Peking University Institute of Mental Health, http://www.aamh.edu.au/special_projects/protecting_children_in_disasters.

  9. Walsh F . Bouncing forward: resilience in the aftermath of September 11. Fam Process 2002; 41: 34–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Galea S, Nandi A, Vlahov D . The epidemiology of post-traumatic stress disorder after disaster. Epidemiol Rev 2004; 27: 78–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hobfoll SE, Watson P, Bell CC, Bryant RA, Brymer MJ, Friedman MJ et al. Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: empirical evidence. Psychiatry 2007; 70: 283–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Norris F . Range, magnitude, and duration of the effects of disasters on mental health: review update 2005. Accessed 6 February 2010 at www.redmh.org, 2005.

  13. Neria Y, Gross R, Marshall R (eds). 9/11: Mental Health in the Wake of Terrorist Attacks. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 2006.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  14. Vale LJ, Campanella TJ (eds). The Resilient City: How Modern Cities Recover from Disaster. Oxford University Press: New York, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Anderson JL . Letter from Haiti: neighbors’ keeper. The New Yorker; Feb 8, 2010; 24–30.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Population Mental Health and Disasters, Medical School, University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia

    B Raphael

  2. Public Mental Health Department, Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, PR China

    H Ma

Authors
  1. B Raphael
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B Raphael.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Raphael, B., Ma, H. Mass catastrophe and disaster psychiatry. Mol Psychiatry 16, 247–251 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2010.68

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2010.68

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links