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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Mental Health Response to Disasters: Is There a Role for a Primary Care-Based Clinician?
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, Vol.37(5), pp.706-711
2022
Abstract
Introduction: Following natural disasters, rural general practitioners (GPs) are expected to undertake several roles, including identifying those experiencing psychological distress and providing evidence-informed mental health care. This paper reports on a collaborative mental health program developed to support a rural GP practice (population <1,500) and a disaster response service. Methods: The program provided specialized disaster mental health care via the placement of a clinician in the GP facility. In collaboration with the GP practice, the program offered opportunistic screening using the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale (PC-PTSD) for probable PTSD as the primary measure and the Kessler 6 (K6) as a secondary measure. Those scoring higher than two on the PC-PTSD scale were referred to the mental health clinician (MHC) for further assessment and treatment. Results: Sixty screening assessments were completed. Fourteen patients (male = 3; female = 11) scored higher than two on the PC-PTSD. The referred group PC-PTSD mean score was 3.14 and K6 mean score of 19. Those not referred had a PC-PTSD mean score = 0.72 and K6 mean score = 7.30. The treatment and non-treatment groups differed significantly (PC-PTSD: P <.00001 and K6: P <.00001). A prior history of trauma exposure was notable in the intervention group. Eight reported a history of domestic violence, seven histories of sexual abuse, five childhood sexual abuse, and eight intimate partner violence (IPV). Conclusion: A post-disaster integrated GP and mental health program in a rural community can assist in identifying individuals experiencing post-disaster psychological distress using opportunistic psychological screening. The findings indicate that collaborative mental health programs may effectively support rural communities post-disaster.
Details
- Title
- Mental Health Response to Disasters: Is There a Role for a Primary Care-Based Clinician?
- Authors
- David Crompton (Corresponding Author) - Griffith UniversityJane Shakespeare-Finch (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyGerard FitzGerald (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyPeter Kohleis (Author) - Metro South HealthRoss Young (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
- Publication details
- Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, Vol.37(5), pp.706-711
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Date published
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1017/S1049023X22001194
- ISSN
- 1945-1938; 1049-023X
- Copyright note
- © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99677498902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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