Mental health promotion in the wake of natural disaster

Abstract

Significant psychological trauma to victims is an unavoidable by-product of severe natural disasters, and Hurricane Matthew is no exception. Making landfall on the 4th of October 2016, it swept across Haiti and eastern Cuba before reaching coastal regions of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Despite Matthew's far-reaching impact, it was in Haiti where the Category Four hurricane made its greatest mark. Infrastructure damage led to water contamination and cholera outbreaks, sparking major concern amongst the World Health Organization and Haitian Ministry of Health. Consequently, physical health impact related to cholera control through clean water access was prioritized over psychological repercussions. In this article, we aim to provide recommendations for local organizations to deliver effectively psychological intervention to Haitian victims of Matthew. We focused on Global Trauma Research, one of few humanitarian agencies with an established framework for implementing psychological trauma relief efforts, and wish to use it as the basis of our suggestions. In order to do so, we chose to review mental health promotion in the context of a relevant historical precedent, Hurricane Katrina. We uncovered a two-pronged approach taken by Hurricane Katrina responders: identification of at-risk groups followed by provision of targeted-relief efforts, and widespread delivery of care to all affected populations, with an emphasis on community reintegration. Based on these general principles, we recommend that Global Trauma Research identify groups at risk of long-term emotional disturbance, provide relief in a targeted fashion on the basis of relative need, and place emphasis on Haitian citizen support through relocation and community integration.