In times of turmoil, in which large populations are affected by factors mostly outside of their control, community-wide efforts of keeping the situation in check can take a long-lasting emotional and psychological toll. In this Special Feature, we look at the psychological aspects of disaster management.
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the new coronavirus outbreak had become a pandemic, countries around the globe have been working hard at containing the virus’s spread at a local level.
Lockdown measures in various countries have included closing down public buildings and institutions — from restaurants to gyms to museums — and asking people to remain at home and minimize or even wholly relinquish social contact with people outside their household.
Although such measures have helped slow down the spread of the new coronavirus, an increasing sense of isolation and anxiety stemming from the situation have been taking their toll on the mental health of populations around the world.
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“As the coronavirus pandemic rapidly sweeps across the world, it is inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry, and concern in the population at large,” WHO officials have noted.
In this Special Feature, we will be looking at the psychology of disaster management and offering an overview of the impact of disaster management techniques on the mental and emotional health of populations affected by disaster. We also look at strategies that research has suggested could help mitigate this impact.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), “disaster management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.”
Preparedness refers to policies and resources that different countries and organizations put in place in case of a disaster.
Response refers to the actions they take to address the impact of a disaster once it does occur.
Finally, recovery refers to the process of healing that takes place after the event. This involves long-term “programs, which go beyond the provision of immediate relief,” as per the IFRC.
All of these aspects of disaster management should include provisions for safeguarding physical health, access to primary care and resources, and economic support.
But there is one more issue that plans for preparedness, response, and recovery must take into account: the psychological impact of disasters.
It comes as a given that disasters — whether of natural origins, such as earthquakes and floods, created by humans, such as wars, or due to a pandemic — will have a profound psychological impact on communities globally.
A systematic review published in Psychological Medicine in 2008 looked at different types of disasters that occurred over almost 3 decades — from 1980 to 2008. The review suggested that many people experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“The evidence suggests that the burden of PTSD among populations exposed to disasters is substantial,” the authors of the review conclude.
A study published in 2015 in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, indicates that the prevalence of mental health problems among people from communities affected by disasters is two to three times higher than in the general population.
Another systematic review, published in 2017 in Health Psychology Open, may explain why disasters take such a huge emotional and mental health toll on communities, despite the