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Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Disaster Situations in the Caribbean

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Many publications addressing mental health issues in disaster situations have been produced in the last decade. Nevertheless, the specific reality of the Caribbean, with its limited number of mental health professionals and its high vulnerability to natural hazards, requires material that specifically addresses these characteristics and reflects the latest developments and approaches. This new publication is directed to Caribbean health sector managers, community workers and other disaster and health professionals. It provides guidance on improving mental health and psychosocial support primarily in two phases of the disaster cycle: preparedness and response, and to a lesser extent, recovery.

It is expected that, as part of other activities, health authorities will encourage the use of this book to organize training for those who are involved in post-disaster assistance. While most mental health professionals are already knowledgeable about the topics discussed in this book, they may be less familiar with the reality of a post-disaster environment, in which their particular expertise will form part of the health sector response.