VIDEO: Psychiatrists play critical role in wake of natural disasters

NEW YORK — A key role for psychiatrists is assessing the mental health needs of a community affected by natural disaster, Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, MD, MPH, told Healio at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting.

“Floods, earthquakes and fires are all becoming more common, most of us believe as a result of climate change,” said Ritchie, chair of psychiatry at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

According to Ritchie, in the wake of such natural disasters, psychiatrists should first be mindful of how the event might shape the mental health of the affected community in the days, weeks and even years after the event.

Psychiatrists can conduct a needs-assessment, she noted, including the decisions to keep mental health services local or to import the expertshow long mental health providers should stay in the affected area before rotating out. In addition, providers should be cognizant of local customs for healing.

Anticipation may be the psychiatrist’s most useful tool when disaster strikes, along with the ability to form relationships with organizations and government agencies that provide support, Ritchie said.

“You should get involved and prepared before the disaster happens,” she added. “They’re not going to call on you if you haven’t been at the table before.”