Aid after disasters

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7501.1160

BMJ 2005;330:1160-1161 (21 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7501.1160

Editorial

Aid after disasters

Needs a long term public mental health perspective

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The crisis caused by the earthquake and tsunami in South EastAsia six months ago elicited an unprecedented aid response byhumanitarian agencies financed by numerous governments and privatecitizens. With communicable disease more or less under control,aid agencies now focus increasingly on the mental sufferingof surviving populations. We estimate here the likely mentalhealth and psychosocial support needs of those affected andprovide a public health framework for long term assistance.

Although no reliable data exist on numbers of people with problemsrelated to mental health in countries affected by the tsunami,the estimated rates described in the table give a rough pictureat the population level of what may be expected. Observed prevalencerates will vary with case definition, method of assessment,time since the disaster, and community. Across and within countries,communities differ in current and previous disaster exposureand in sociocultural factors that . . . [Full text of this article]

Mark van Ommeren, technical officer

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland (vanommerenm@who.int)

Shekhar Saxena, coordinator, mental health evidence and research team, Benedetto Saraceno, director

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland

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