Disaster psychiatry

Disaster psychiatry is a field of psychiatry which focuses on responding to natural disasters, climate change, school shootings, large accidents, public health emergencies, and their associated community-wide disruptions and mental health implications. Regardless of exact type, all disasters are characterized by disruption of family and community support structures, threats to personal safety, and overwhelming available support resources. Disaster psychiatry is a crucial component of disaster preparedness, aiming to mitigate immediate and prolonged psychiatric challenges. Its primary objective is to diminish acute symptoms and long-term psychiatric morbidity by minimizing exposure to stressors, offering education to normalize responses to trauma, and identifying individuals vulnerable to future psychiatric illness.

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