title: Trauma signature analysis: State of the art and evolving future directions.
abstract: Trauma signature (TSIG) analysis is an evidence-based method that examines the interrelationship between population exposure to a disaster, extreme event, or complex emergency, and the inter-related physical and psychological consequences for the purpose of providing timely, actionable guidance for effective mental health and psychosocial support that is organically tailored and targeted to the defining features of the event. A series of TSIG case studies has been published since 2011 and TSIG analyses of recent disasters are in process.Disaster Healthintends to expedite and feature novel TSIG research focusing on late-breaking disaster events. At the current stage of development, expert consensus is sought for refining the TSIG methodology using a Delphi process. The overarching goal is to create a fully operational system to provide timely guidance for adapting disaster behavioral health support to the salient psychological risk factors in each disaster.
authors.affiliation: Center for Disaster & Extreme Event Preparedness (DEEP Center); University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Miami, FL USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Shultz
authors.affiliation: Trauma and PTSD Program; Department of Psychiatry & The New York State Psychiatric Institute; Columbia University; New York, NY USA.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Neria
keywords: TSIG; disaster response; mental health; psychosocial; trauma signature analysis