Mental Health

PROTECTION of the health MENTAL in emergencies and disasters Claudia Gomez Prieto 2003 vulnerability, risk and RESILIENT communities adverse events generate not only damage to the lives and productive assets of a community, but that they face to the victims, with losses, with a symbolic, historical and social value. Reduce the occurrence of disasters and the gravity of its consequences, means also face socio-cultural constraints along with development problems that deepen the threats, vulnerability and trigger disaster. Human factors greatly affect i.e. in vulnerability and risk in these situations. Predisposition to affectation (vulnerability) and resilience (resiliency) play a fundamental role in risk management actions. The communities resilient factors relate to capabilities that they have to confront, overcome, strengthened and transformed despite traverse potentially traumatic experiences, such as emergencies and disasters.

THE communication for the protection of health MENTAL in disaster information producing serious and responsible, is an aspect of great importance for all sectors of the community, and a great challenge for the institutions involved in the response and disaster management. The existence of multiple victims, wounded and dead, acquires public State quickly, and a great need for the community to receive information. It is undeniable that these facts generate a high degree of political and social sensitivity by the magnitude of their consequences and the consequent search for perpetrators. A proper handling of the information helps to minimize the consequences of the events and collaborates with community despoiled in the restoration of daily life. The institutions responsible for the response, should be responsible for the need and the right of the community to be informed and to do so must take the initiative as to provide official, truthful, checked and updated information. The public appreciates when responsible for the management of a critical situation takes the initiative in the information. This behavior can be interpreted as a demonstration of responsibility on the facts and sensitivity toward those involved in the problem.