Disaster Psychiatry

More than 10 years after the first edition was published—and spurred in part by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which turned nearly all mental health professionals into de facto disaster mental health professionals—this second edition of Disaster Psychiatry remains a clinically oriented, evidence-based, and practical guide to mental health evaluation and interventions against the backdrop of adversity.


Over the course of 21 extensively referenced chapters, a cadre of experienced mental health professionals takes a biopsychosocial approach to explaining what a disaster is, how it relates to mental health, and how psychiatrists and other mental health professionals can effectively intervene to reduce suffering. Among the topics they discuss are


• The practice of psychiatry in the context of climate change
• The role of technology, including social media, mobile apps, and artificial intelligence, in the disaster cycle
• Self-care for disaster responders and health care workers
• Psychiatric evaluations of children, adolescents, and adults, as well as of special populations that include LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups
• Psychopharmacology in acute and post-acute disaster settings
• Psychiatric interventions for infants, children and adolescents and geriatric patients


Throughout, the book synthesizes the latest information gathered from a variety of sources, including the peer-reviewed scientific literature; the clinical wisdom imparted by frontline psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers; and the experiences of those who have organized disaster mental health services.


Although the impact of a disaster is often measured in terms of casualties, fatalities, and economics, the psychological and emotional effects of wildfires, floods, mass shootings, wars, pandemics, racial and ethnic strife, and more are no less real. With the wealth of information in this volume, mental health professionals will be prepared to help their patients navigate the modern world's unexpected challenges