The psychosocial dimension of health and social service interventions in emergency situations

Regional Coordinator of the psychosocial component of emergency response operations at the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal. Ghyslaine Senécal, MBA, is Regional Coordinator of emergency response operations and civil protection, health mission, the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal. Funding source: The translation of this article was made possible by joint funding from the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. the world in recent decades has fueled interest in emergency psychosocial interventions. The psychological consequences of catastrophes are generally underestimated 3,4 even though they are often much greater than the physical effects. 5 There is therefore unequal, and sometimes insufficient, planning when it comes to the psychosocial component of comprehensive emergency response plans. 3 To fill this gap, several government and health authorities, such as the US National Institute of Mental Health, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Organisation de sécurité civile du Québec (Civil Protection Organization of Quebec) have started to include a psychosocial component in their overall emergency response plans. The psychological impact of disasters Disasters are defined as situations whose impact can overwhelm the adaptive capacity of affected populations and groups, to a varying extent and for more or less extended periods of time, depending on the circumstances. 8 There are two major types of disasters: 4 natural disasters (e.g., floods) and disasters resulting from human action, whether intentionally (e.g., shootings) or unintentionally (e.g., toxic spills). Disasters can have a significant psychosocial impact because they bring substantial loss for the victims: loss of loved ones, of bodily integrity, of material goods, of places they have made their own, of a sense of safety and security, etc. 8 Natural disasters usually have a beginning and an end, which helps make psychological recovery easier. Disasters linked to human activity, particularly those of an intentional nature, are more disturbing 4 because they generate feelings of psychological threat and uncertainty about the associated risks. In such conditions, it is not unusual to see more long-term reactions of stress and demoralization set in. 9 Although genocide is not included among the disasters linked to human activity covered in this paper, references on this issue have been included for interested readers. Disasters also create different categories of victims. 8 First, there are the primary victims: those who …