Page 30 - DIVA_3_2007_No.30

Crisis Management with Serenity

country.
his tal health and psychosocial
University Teachers College
Indeed, research and the main representative support in emergency set-
and experience to the UN of the tings of the Inter-Agency
shows that disas- International Association of Standing Committee (JASC)
ters impact the Applied Psychology and the which van Ommeren co-
of
mental health World
chaired. It was endorsed by
Council
and psychosocial Psychotherapy, Dr. Judy has 27 agencies representing 10
well-being of done disaster relief around UN agencies (including
individuals, the world and is also a jour- OCHA, UNFPA, UNHCR,
and
families UNICEF, and WHO), the
nalist who has written about
communities in the emotional aftermaths of Red Cross/Red Crescent
Few would think that mental the immediate aftermath, as disasters. As Dr. Judy noted, movement, 16 leading
health issues would be so well as long-term, resulting "My experiences and those NGOs and the World Bank.
difficult to budget within the in threats to overall health, of others around the world In defining mental health
United Nations (UN) after human rights and social after major disasters show and psychosocial support as
the incredible stress people development. that adults and especially protecting or promoting
suffer following natural children do need emotional psychosocial well-being
disasters. Finally,, the need The opening day in June support and what is called and/or preventing or treating
for serenity - a mental health coincided with World "psycho-education" since mental disorder, van
they suffer from losses and
Day.
plan -- to be included in cri- Environment Ommeren asked the audien-
sis management is now Executive Director of the worry about recurrences. ce to reflect on their positive
Nations
Also, since locally trained
beginning to take top billing United and negative experiences
within the UN and progress Environment Programme, psychological staff is often related to mental health and
is in the works. Non- Achim Steiner, called for very scarce in developing psychosocial support in
more joint action to convin-
community
emergencies. Typical sug-
Governmental countries,
Organi-
zations (NGOs) on mental ce decision-makers to make resources need to be built gestions about how inter-
health issues are in the fore- adoption and prevention a up, and people need to be vention should be done
ground as we saw in the greater priority so that "cli- trained to provide assistance include: they should be cul-
Geneva meetings hosted at mate change and disaster to their local community." turally sensitive/adaptable;
take local situation and
Wahlstrom,
the Global Platform for reduction communities can Margareta
Disaster Risk Reduction assist in boosting invest- Assistant Secretary-General resources into account; not
(June 2007) on "The ments towards vulnerable for Humanitarian Affairs ignore PTSD but cover
Integration of Mental Health countries and communities." and Deputy Emergency much more; be intersect
and Psychosocial Issues into Also coincidentally, the Relief Coordinator, Office oral; cover staff welfare; and
Disaster Risk Reduction and impact of climate change for the Coordination of advise about coping with
the Hyogo Framework." would be discussed the next Humanitarian Affairs, sup- 'parachuting' foreign clini-
day at the G8 Summit in ported the importance of cians. The guidelines descri-
Even though the panel about Germany, where the UN integrating psychosocial and bes 25 key actions through
the psychological issues Secretary General will mental health interventions 25 action sheets with each
related to disaster risk reduc- encourage increasing syner- into the Hyogo Framework action sheet giving four
tion - convened by the UN- gy between disaster risk for Action, as part of a com- pages of advice, noting that
affiliated and New York reduction and climate prehensive program of dis- these should be implemen-
based Committee on Mental change agendas. aster preparedness, response ted flexibly ad locally adap-
Health -- was officially cal- and recovery. ted. His key messages were
led a "Side Event" - compa- Dr. Kuriansky (known as to (1) Strive towards integra-
red to main gatherings of the "Dr. Judy" for her radio call- Mark van Ommeren from ted, multi-sectoral prepara-
tion and response; (2) use
Health
World
thousands of attendees -- in advice programs in the the
many representatives from U.S. on mental health Organization, Department inter-agency consensus on
governments and other sec- issues) explained how of Mental Health and mental health and psychoso-
tors of society are waking up psychosocial/mental health Substance Abuse, announ- cial support; and (3) Take
to what one Pakistani doctor interventions should be an ced the release of new care of yourself.
integral part of any compre-
called "Guidelines on Mental
"Weeping
Mountains" to describe the hensive program of disaster Health and Psychosocial Another speaker, Dr. Inka
sadness of the families hit by preparedness and risk reduc- Support in Emergency Weissbecker, represented
the horrendous earthquake tion. A clinical psychologist Settings." These were draf- the International Union of
in the northern provinces of on the faculty of Columbia ted by a task force for men- Psychological Science and
28 3 2007 Diva

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