Mental health response to disaster: Consensus recommendations: Early Psychological Intervention Subcommittee (EPI), National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD)

There is a general recognition that in many instances there will be an adverse psychological consequence associated with disasters, and that this adverse consequence may be manifest within primary victims, as well as rescuers and other disaster response personnel. There is less agreement, however, on what should be done, if anything, to formally address the putative mental health issues post-disaster. This paper reports on the results of an 18-month consensus building process wherein the Early Psychological Intervention Subcommittee (EPI) of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) formulated recommendations on the nature of disaster mental health interventions and, what, if any, specialized training should individuals receive in preparation to perform early psychological intervention in the wake of disasters? Consensus was reached that there was value in the provision of disaster mental health services, that specialized training to provide such services was requisite, and that the nature of such services should be consistent with an integrated continuum of mental health care.