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Promoting Integrated Mental Health Care Services in Disaster Response Programs: Lessons Learned After the Impact of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2019

Julio C. Jiménez Chávez ,
Esteban Viruet Sánchez ,
Fernando J. Rosario Maldonado ,
Axel J. Ramos Lucca  and
Barbara Barros Cartagena
Julio C. Jiménez Chávez*
Affiliation:
Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Esteban Viruet Sánchez
Affiliation:
Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Fernando J. Rosario Maldonado
Affiliation:
Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Axel J. Ramos Lucca
Affiliation:
Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Barbara Barros Cartagena
Affiliation:
Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Julio C. Jiménez, PO Box 7004, Ponce, PR, 00732-7004 (e-mail: jcjimenez@psm.edu).
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Abstract

Meteorological and even human-made disasters are increasing every year in frequency and magnitude. The passage of a disaster affects a society without distinction, but groups with social vulnerability (low socioeconomic status, chronic medical, or psychological conditions, limited access to resources) face the most significant impact. As a result, psychological and behavioral symptoms (eg, depression and anxiety) can ensue, making the immediate response of mental health services crucial. Secondary data from a database of a temporary healthcare unit were analyzed. A total of 54 records were reviewed to collect information; univariate and bivariate analyses were done. The purpose of this article is to present our experience regarding the incorporation of a mental health services model, with its respective benefits and challenges, into a temporary healthcare unit, after Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Keywords

mental health servicesdisaster response programsintegrated healthcare servicesdisaster situationsmental health services program
Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 130 - 138
Copyright
© 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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References

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