200609 Development of a Resource Guide for Disaster Mental Health Assessment

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Hema Desai, MMedSci , Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, GA
Linda J. Koenig, PhD MS , National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Injury Response, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA
Jacqui Butler, MPA , National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Injury Response, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA
Carianne Muse, MPH , Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, GA
Delia Jourde, MA , Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, GA
Samuel Perry, MPH , Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, GA
Public health surveillance teams recognize that along with the physical consequences of disasters there are also emotional and behavioral impacts. A resource guide was developed to provide a single source of current mental and behavioral health assessment and monitoring tools to be used by public health responders. An initial scan of items, interviews and questionnaires was conducted to identify mental and behavioral health issues assessed via tools used in previous disaster responses, such as CDC surveillance instruments, needs assessments and community surveys. Based on this scan, key structural and content needs for the guide were identified. A literature search was then conducted to identify disaster-related mental health issues and the tools used to assess them. Tools were further supplemented through consultation with experts in the field. The guide contains several components, including issues related to administering mental health assessments. The largest component of the guide contains a wide range of assessment tools from needs assessments and injury surveillance forms with mental health items, to brief mental health interviews and questionnaires that assess short and long-term mental health outcomes, both general (distress and dysfunction) and specific (e.g., depression, stress syndromes). For each questionnaire/inventory, the guide provides a description of its length/format, psychometric properties, scoring/interpretation, and use in prior disaster response or research. The guide can be used by disaster responders (e.g., state and local health departments, federal agencies or volunteers) regardless of previous survey or mental health expertise and can help decision-makers obtain mental health information necessary for allocating resources.

Learning Objectives:
Learning Objectives: 1. To familiarize the audience with an easily accessed tool to assist in mental health assessment post-disaster. 2. To increase audience understanding about the importance of assessing post-disaster mental and behavioral issues through surveillance, community needs assessments and surveys.

Keywords: Disasters, Assessments

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have over seven years experience in public health research and consulting. I have worked closely with CDC clients as a lead public health analyst. I have a Bachelor of Science in Medical Biochemistry and a Masters in Medical Science in Human Nutrition. I was the lead in the creation of the resource guide under the supervision of the second author Dr. Linda Koenig who is a licensed Clinical Psychologist. The project involved reviewing existing toolkits used by similar industry-standards and compiling existing information. In addition, conducting a literature review for additional information on mental and behavioral health issues and creating a draft framework for the completed toolkit. Facilitation material was created in preparation for a stakeholder meeting; appropriate team-building activities were incorporated into the agenda to facilitate partnership development. Post meeting notes from the meeting were created providing recommendations for a final report. I was also responsible for responding to daily project requests. I am currenly working with the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention Control (NCIPC), Division of Unintentional Injury (DUIP), and leading the tasks for cost and impact assessment of Fall Prevention programs funded by the Administration on Aging. Falls are a well recognized health problem for older adults. Although several fall prevention programs have been implemented across the US, including Matter of Balance (MOB), these programs have not been evaluated for efficacy. In addition at the same division I am working as the lead public health analyst in assisting the Program by reviewing Prescription Drug Monitoring Program data. Prescription drug overdoses are a growing problem in the United States and recent studies have shown an increase in domestic mortality from poisoning by prescription drugs. I am working with DUIP to evaluate state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) and provide support for a case-control study to understand the relationship between drug use history and deaths attributable to drug overdose. My past experience at the Georgia Division of Public Health involved Managing the GA Birth Defects Reporting Information System(GBDRIS); collecting, analyzing, and cleaning data using SAS (approx. 3000 records/month); and reviewing reports (liaison with 92 medical facilities); Analyzing Women, Infant and Children (WIC) data, interpret results, suggest recommendations, and disseminate findings to the GA WIC program; Evaluating the curriculum of a WIC program on overweight infants by administering 193 surveys and 2 focus groups; Providing epidemiological assistance and consultative services to the Georgia Folic Acid Coalition on a quarterly basis; Served as Epi On-Call: communicable diseases triage team member available to public, resolving health concerns, and educating public on prevention strategies and interventions on health issues.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Mental Health Poster Session V
See more of: Mental Health