The role of public health in mental and behavioral health in children and families following disasters.
OBJECTIVE
Children and youth have been shown to be vulnerable to negative mental and behavioral health consequences following mass disasters and terrorist attacks. The purpose of this article was to identify the primary roles and responsibilities of public health agencies and systems that both promote resiliency and reduce the mental health risks to children and their families following disastrous events.


METHODS
The authors conducted a review and synthesis of public and mental health research literatures, resources, and policies focused on mental and behavioral health outcomes in children and families in the aftermath of disasters.


RESULTS
The available research evidence supported the contention that children experience heightened psychosocial vulnerabilities and lasting psychosocial burdens following disasters. The major roles that public health organizations and systems can play to both prevent and deter such harmful mental and behavioral health impacts of disasters during all phases of the disaster cycle were identified.


CONCLUSIONS
The roles identified that public health organizations and systems can undertake included coordination and collaboration with various local and federal agencies, advocacy and promotion of community resilience, deterring harmful effects of disastrous events by assessment, screening, case finding and education, training of personnel, guiding interventions, formulating policy, and conducting research investigations.
Beaton
Randal D
RD
Schools of Nursing and Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. randyb@u.washington.edu
Murphy
Shirley A
SA
Houston
J Brian
JB
Reyes
Gilbert
G
Bramwell
Suzette
S
McDaniel
Michelle
M
Reissman
Dori B
DB
Pfefferbaum
Betty
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D004190:Disasters; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011634:Public Health