Disaster Psychiatry, Second Edition Readiness, Evaluation, and Treatment

More than 10 years after the first edition was published—and spurred in part by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which turned nearly all mental health professionals into de facto disaster mental health professionals—this second edition of Disaster Psychiatry remains a clinically oriented, evidence-based, and practical guide to mental health evaluation and interventions against the backdrop of adversity.

Over the course of 21 extensively referenced chapters, a cadre of experienced mental health professionals takes a biopsychosocial approach to explaining what a disaster is, how it relates to mental health, and how psychiatrists and other mental health professionals can effectively intervene to reduce suffering. Among the topics they discuss are

• The practice of psychiatry in the context of climate change
• The role of technology, including social media, mobile apps, and artificial intelligence, in the disaster cycle
• Self-care for disaster responders and health care workers
• Psychiatric evaluations of children, adolescents, and adults, as well as of special populations that include LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups
• Psychopharmacology in acute and post-acute disaster settings
• Psychiatric interventions for infants, children and adolescents and geriatric patients

Throughout, the book synthesizes the latest information gathered from a variety of sources, including the peer-reviewed scientific literature; the clinical wisdom imparted by frontline psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers; and the experiences of those who have organized disaster mental health services.

Although the impact of a disaster is often measured in terms of casualties, fatalities, and economics, the psychological and emotional effects of wildfires, floods, mass shootings, wars, pandemics, racial and ethnic strife, and more are no less real. With the wealth of information in Disaster Psychiatry, mental health professionals will be prepared to help their patients navigate the modern world's unexpected challenges.

CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Chapter 1. Disaster Psychiatry Education
• Chapter 2. Disaster Prevention and Climate Change
• Chapter 3. Needs Assessment
• Chapter 4. Technology
• Chapter 5. Communication and Relationships
• Chapter 6. Rescuing Ourselves: Self-Care for Disaster Responders and Health Care Workers
• Chapter 7. Engaging in Disaster Response: Preparation, Systems, and Leadership
• Chapter 8. Model of Adaptive Response to Complex Cyclical Disasters
• Chapter 9. Legal and Ethical Considerations
• Chapter 10. Historical, Sociocultural, and Political Considerations
• Chapter 11. Infant, Children, and Adolescent Psychiatric Evaluation
• Chapter 12. Adult Psychiatric Evaluation
• Chapter 13. Specific Needs of Submarginalized Populations
• Chapter 14. Serious Mental Illness
• Chapter 15. Vulnerability, Resilience, and Grief
• Chapter 16. Psychological First Aid
• Chapter 17. Psychotherapies: Individual, Family, and Group
• Chapter 18. Psychopharmacology: Considerations in the Acute and Postacute Disaster Settings
• Chapter 19. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Interventions
• Chapter 20. Geriatric Psychiatry Interventions
• Chapter 21. Humanitarian Mental Health: Psychosocial Response in the Context of Conflict, Climate Change, and Refugee Crisis
• Afterword