Citation

McCabe OL, Everly GS, Siegel ER, Heitt MC, Kaminsky MJ. Int. J. Emerg. Ment. Health 2004; 6(4): 197-204.

Affiliation

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. lmccabe@jhmi.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Chevron Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

15635900

Abstract

While America wages the "war" on terrorism and endeavors to protect the physical safety of its citizens, it is imperative to plan for the population's mental health needs in future terrorist/disaster scenarios. The importance of psychiatry's potential role in preparing the community for the psychological impact of terrorism is underscored against the historical backdrop of the field being "carved out" from the organization, delivery, and financing of health services in our society. A practical framework is offered for designing an organization's mental health disaster plan, including recommendations for strategic infrastructure and tactical response capabilities. Finally, the unique features of clinical practice with disaster victims are noted, including intra-clinician conflicts between professional/community interests and personal/family obligations during acute disaster events.

Language: en