Acute-Stage Mental Health Symptoms by Natural Disaster Type: Consultations of Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs) in Japan

Yoshifumi Takagi, Sho Takahashi, Yasuhisa Fukuo, Tetsuaki Arai and Hirokazu Tachikawa
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Yoshifumi Takagi: Faculty of Humanities, Tokyo Kasei University, Tokyo 173-8602, Japan
Sho Takahashi: Department of Disaster and Community Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
Yasuhisa Fukuo: Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs) Secretariat, Commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Tokyo 108-8554, Japan
Tetsuaki Arai: Department of Psychiatry, Division of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
Hirokazu Tachikawa: Department of Disaster and Community Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-16

Abstract: This study analyzed the support activities that the Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Team (DPAT) in Japan provided following four previous disasters (a volcanic eruption, a mudslide, a flood, and an earthquake) to identify links between the disaster type and the characteristics of acute stage mental disorders observed. Using Disaster Mental Health Information Support System database records of consultations with patients supported by the DPAT during the survey period from 2013 (when DPAT was launched) to 2016, we performed cross-tabulations and investigated significant differences using chi-squared tests. For expected values less than 5, Fisher’s exact test was performed. Frequently occurring acute-stage symptoms after a disaster include anxiety, sleep problems, mood and affect, and physical symptoms. The affected population characteristics, victim attributes, severity of damage sustained, and evacuation status were the chief factors that influenced acute-stage mental health symptoms. The psychiatric symptoms detected in our study together with the results of diagnoses are important for determining the types of early interventions needed during the acute stage of a disaster. By sharing baseline mental health information, together with disaster-related characteristics highlighted in this study, mental health providers are better able to predict future possible mental disorders and symptoms.

Keywords: disaster; volcanic eruption; landslide; flood; and earthquake; DMHISS; disaster psychiatry; Japan; acute mental health symptoms; DPAT (Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Team) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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