Citation

Birur B, Math SB, Fargason RE. Psychopharmacol. Bull. 2017; 47(1): 8-26.

Affiliation

Drs. Birur, MD, Assistant Professor, Fargason, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama Birmingham, USA. Dr. Math, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, MedWorks Media)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

28138200

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Disasters are mega-scale catastrophic events which cause trauma and mental health sequelae. A review of early pharmacological interventions for the prevention of psychiatric disorders following disasters is sorely needed.

METHODS: A literature search of "Psychiatric Sequelae AND Disasters", "Disaster mental health/Disaster psychiatry", "Psychotropics AND Disasters", and "Drug therapy AND Disasters" yielded 213 articles, 38 of which were included in the review.

RESULTS: Common post-disaster psychiatric conditions are: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders and medically-unexplained psychological symptoms. Early psychopharmacological interventions to prevent PTSD provide promising evidence for hydrocortisone in medically ill trauma populations. Less robust benefits were noted for other pharmacological interventions. No reported trials have explored prevention of depression or other common post-disaster psychiatric conditions.

CONCLUSION: Hydrocortisone shows promise in preventing and reducing the psychiatric sequelae of PTSD following disasters. Further evaluation of hydrocortisone and other potentially beneficial psychopharmacological interventions are needed.

Language: en

Keywords

disaster; prevention; psychiatric conditions; psychiatric sequelae; psychopharmacological interventions