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Contributors
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- By Jennifer Alvarez, Ananda B. Amstadter, Metin Başoğlu, David M. Benedek, Charles C. Benight, George A. Bonanno, Evelyn J. Bromet, Richard A. Bryant, Barbara Lopes Cardozo, M. L. Somchai Chakkraband, Claude Chemtob, Roman Cieslak, Lauren M. Conoscenti, Joan M. Cook, Judith Cukor, Carla Kmett Danielson, JoAnn Difede, Charles DiMaggio, Anja J.E. Dirkzwager, Cristiane S. Duarte, Jon D. Elhai, Diane L. Elmore, Yael L.E. Errera, Julian D. Ford, Carol S. Fullerton, Sandro Galea, Freya Goodhew, Neil Greenberg, Lindsay Greene, Linda Grievink, Michael J. Gruber, Sumati Gupta, Johan M. Havenaar, Alesia O. Hawkins, Clare Henn-Haase, Kimberly Eaton Hoagwood, Christina W. Hoven, Sabra S. Inslicht, Krzysztof Kaniasty, Ronald C. Kessler, Rachel Kimerling, Richard V. King, Rolf J. Kleber, Jessica Mass Levitt, Brett T. Litz, Maria Livanou, Katelyn P. Mack, Paula Madrid, Shira Maguen, Paul Maguire, Donald J. Mandell, Charles R. Marmar, Andrea R. Maxwell, Shannon E. McCaslin, Alexander C. McFarlane, Thomas J. Metzler, Summer Nelson, Yuval Neria, Elana Newman, Thomas C. Neylan, Fran H. Norris, Carol S. North, Lawrence A. Palinkas, Benjaporn Panyayong, Maria Petukhova, Betty Pfefferbaum, Marleen Radigan, Beverley Raphael, James Rodriguez, G. James Rubin, Kenneth J. Ruggiero, Ebru Şalcıoğlu, Nancy A. Sampson, Arieh Y. Shalev, Bruce Shapiro, Laura M. Stough, Prawate Tantipiwatanaskul, Warunee Thienkrua, Phebe Tucker, J. Blake Turner, Robert J. Ursano, Bellis van den Berg, Peter G. van der Velden, Frits van Griensven, Miranda Van Hooff, Edward Waldrep, Philip S. Wang, Simon Wessely, Leslie H. Wind, C. Joris Yzermans, Heidi M. Zinzow
- Edited by Yuval Neria, Columbia University, New York, Sandro Galea, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Fran H. Norris
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- Book:
- Mental Health and Disasters
- Published online:
- 07 May 2010
- Print publication:
- 20 July 2009, pp xi-xvi
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5 - Physical Health Problems after Disasters
- from Part Two - Psychopathology After Disasters
- Edited by Yuval Neria, Columbia University, New York, Sandro Galea, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Fran H. Norris
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- Book:
- Mental Health and Disasters
- Published online:
- 07 May 2010
- Print publication:
- 20 July 2009, pp 67-93
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
This chapter presents an introduction to the physical health problems following disasters as well as disaster studies. The majority of studies after traumatic events such as disasters have focused on psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and they have shown a positive relation between exposure to traumatic stress and psychopathology. Several studies have examined the prevalence of specific symptoms among survivors of disasters. The mean number of physical symptoms was compared between survivors of a disaster and a control group. Although risk factors for psychological problems after exposure to traumatic stress have been investigated in many studies after disasters, only a few risk factors for physical symptoms have been examined after several disasters. Risk factors for physical symptoms after disasters can be divided into predisaster factors, disaster-related factors and postdisaster factors.
The Public Health Dimension of Disasters—Health Outcome Assessment of Disasters
- Bellis van den Berg, Linda Grievink, Kersten Gutschmidt, Thierry Lang, Stephen Palmer, Marc Ruijten, Rene Stumpel, Joris Yzermans
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- Journal:
- Prehospital and Disaster Medicine / Volume 23 / Issue S2 / August 2008
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 28 June 2012, pp. s55-s59
- Print publication:
- August 2008
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A broad range of health problems are related to disasters. Insight into these health problems is needed for targeted disaster management. Disaster health outcome assessment can provide insight into the health effects of disasters.
During the 15th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine in Amsterdam (2007), experts in the field of disaster epidemiology discussed important aspects of disaster health outcome assessment, such as: (1) what is meant by disaster health outcome assessment?; (2) why should one conduct a disaster health outcome assessment, and what are the objectives?, and (3) who benefits from the information obtained by a disaster health outcome assessment?
A disaster health outcome assessment can be defined as a systematic assessment of the current and potential health problems in a population affected by a disaster. Different methods can be used to examine these health problems such as: (1) rapid assessment of health needs; (2) (longitudinal) epidemiological studies using questionnaires; (3) continuous surveillance of health problems using existing registration systems; (4) assessment of the use and distribution of health services; and (5) research into the etiology of the health effects of disasters.
The public health impact of a disaster may not be immediately evident. Disaster health outcome assessment provides insight into the health related consequences of disasters. The information that is obtained by performing a disaster health outcome assessment can be used to initiate and adapt the provision of health care. Besides information for policy-makers, disaster health outcome assessments can contribute to the knowledge and evidence base of disaster health outcomes (scientific objective). Finally, disaster health outcome assessment might serve as a signal of recognition of the problems of the survivors.
Several stakeholders may benefit from the information obtained from a disaster health outcome assessment. Disaster decision-makers and the public health community benefit from performing a disaster health outcome assessment, since it provides information that is useful for the different aspects of disaster management. Also, by providing information about the nature, prevalence, and course of health problems, (mental) health care workers can anticipate the health needs and requirements in the affected population.
It is important to realize that the disaster is not over when the acute care has been provided. Instead, disasters will cause many other health problems and concerns such as infectious diseases and mental health problems. Disaster health outcome assessments provide insight into the public health impact of disasters.