Barriers to Psychiatrist Involvement with Disaster Victims Post-Disaster

Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida, USA

Barriers to Psychiatrist Involvement with Disaster Victims Post-Disaster Laverne D’Silva, OMS-IV, College of Osteopathic Medicine James Greenstone, Ed.D., Associate Professor, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Disaster and Emergency Management Department Objective. This study was conducted to determine what barriers or obstacles prevent psychiatrists from being involved with disaster victims post-disaster. Background. Natural and man-made disasters have significant impacts on mental health and these effects can last for months to years after the disaster has occurred. While the role of psychiatrists during the response phase of disaster may vary, psychiatrist involvement with disaster victims during the recovery phase of disaster may prove beneficial in supplementing local mental health services and expanding access to psychiatric care. Methods. For this study, an online survey was distributed to psychiatrists at the Hillsborough County-based community mental health center, Gracepoint. Results. A total of 11 psychiatrists responded to the survey, including general psychiatrists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and addiction and substance abuse psychiatrists. The respondents demonstrated a lack of familiarity with the field of disaster and emergency management. The most cited barrier to involvement with disaster victims post-disaster was disruption to daily life in the form of time away from family/friends and time away from work/practice. However, respondents were not uninterested in working with disaster victims. Many of the psychiatrists surveyed indicated they would consider being involved with disaster victims post-disaster via local disaster response organizations and/or via telehealth. Conclusion. Disruptions to daily life in various forms are the biggest barriers to psychiatrist involvement with disaster victims post-disaster. However, this can potentially be mitigated by involvement with local disaster response organizations and the use of telehealth.