Rapid Behavioral Health Assessment Post-disaster: Developing and Validating a Brief, Structured Module

Abstract

To develop and validate a brief, structured, behavioral health module for use by local public health practitioners to rapidlyassess behavioral health needs in disaster settings. Data were collected through in-person, telephone, and webbased interviewsof 101 individuals afected by Hurricanes Katrina (n = 44) and Sandy (n = 57) in New Orleans and New Jersey in Apriland May 2018, respectively. Questions included in the core module were selected based on convergent validity, internalconsistency reliability, test–retest reliability across administration modes, principal component analysis (PCA), questioncomprehension, eiciency, accessibility, and use in population-based surveys. Almost all scales showed excellent internal consistencyreliability (Cronbach’s alpha, 0.79–0.92), convergent validity (r > 0.61), and test–retest reliability (inperson vs. telephone,intra-class coeicient, ICC, 0.75–1.00; in-person vs. web-based ICC, 0.73–0.97). PCA of the behavioral health scales yieldedtwo components to include in the module—mental health and substance use. The core module has 26 questions—includingself-reported general health (1 question); symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety (Primary Care PTSD Screen,Patient Health Questionnaire-4; 8 questions); drinking and other substance use (Alcohol Use Disorders IdentiicationTest-Concise, AUDIT-C; Drug Abuse Screening Test, DAST-10; stand-alone question regarding increased substance usesince disaster; 14 questions); prior mental health conditions, treatment, and treatment disruption (3 questions)—and can beadministered in 5–10 minutes through any mode. This lexible module allows practitioners to quickly evaluate behavioral healthneeds, efectively allocate resources, and appropriately target interventions to help promote recovery of disaster-afectedcommunities. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10900-021-00966-5.

Developing the Minimum Data Set for a Disaster Mental Health Registry System

“…A variety of intervention methods could be employed, from rapid training to individual and group discussions by first aid workers to specialized clinical care by mental health professionals [56]. Using this information, practitioners can assess behavioral health needs, refer patients to mental health services when needed, allocate resources effectively, and target interventions appropriately in order to promote community recovery and well-being [39].…”

“…Final retrieved resources for the MDS collection phase included "technical guideline for mental health in disaster" [27], "disaster psychosocial assessment and surveillance toolkit" [28], "toolkit for humanitarian settings" [29], "WHO psychological first aid" [30], "NCTSN psychological first aid" [31], "CDC facilitator guide" [32], "sphere handbook" [33], "mental health all-hazards disaster planning guidance" [34], "national program for psychologicalsocial support in disasters" [35], "IASC guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings" [36], "the mental health and psychosocial aspects of disaster preparedness" [37], "IR Iran national health disaster and emergencies response operation plan" [38], and some related articles [39][40][41][42].…”

The impact of residential greenness on psychological distress among Hurricane Katrina survivors

“…We selected K6 as it is a broad screening tool that captures a range of psychological disorders, rather than screening for a specific disorder (such as the Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ] or the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-S [PCL-S]) [ 38 ]. Further, the K6 is widely used in disaster research [ 39 ]. In our primary analysis we categorized K6 based on whether scores fell above or below the cut-off for moderate, but still clinically significant, psychological distress (scores ≥5, hereafter the outcome is referred to simply as “psychological distress”) [ 40 ].…”

Android-based Mobile Rapid Health Assessment in the Disaster Emergency Response Phase

“…Disaster needs assessments are often ineffective and slow after a major natural disaster, leading to inefficient and uncoordinated responses [9]. Conducting a rapid assessment response in a disaster can cause several challenges for health workers and disaster volunteers, including identifying and reaching target populations, collecting field groups, and securing funding and ethics review board approval [10]. Another critical challenge that can ruin fast arrangement of assessment teams is the need for existing assessment tools to assess influenced individuals [8].…”