TY - JOUR
T1 - Approaching disaster mental health research after the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attacks
AU - North, Carol S
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH40025 and the Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice (DOJ). Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of NIMH or the DOJ.
Funding Information:
Post-9/11, research was approached in a fragmented and disorganized manner. There was a scramble for research funding from federal agencies in new grants and supplements and from foundations. Despite quick-turn-around mechanisms such as the National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) Rapid Assessment Post Impact of Disaster (RAPID) grants and supplemental funds for existing projects, major resources were slow to filter into the hands of researchers, allowing important windows of opportunity to pass before research could commence. The different funding agencies proceeded independently of one another, thwarting potential for coordination to avoid overlap among projects. Large medical research projects proceeded without consideration of mental health aspects. Mental health interventions were developed and deployed, including the massive and monumental Project Liberty effort, with little or no formal attention to assessing intervention effectiveness, or even systematic monitoring of its activities.
Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - The article describes the author's experiences with disaster research in the post-9/11 period, first in application of prior research findings to the new situation and later in consultation on the design and development of new research specific to 9/11. The article begins by reviewing the important role of the science of disaster mental health, which was reinforced by the many requests for information from prior research for application to the post-9/11 situation. Next, the article summarizes enduring principles of disaster research application that apply across disaster sites, including 9/11. Addressing unique aspects of the post-9/11 setting, novel considerations for the disaster mental health field are introduced with a new model for conceptualization of subpopulations based on exposure level. Experience in developing research in the post-9/11 setting encountered a number of issues, suggesting need for new policy recommendations that may facilitate research in future disaster settings.
AB - The article describes the author's experiences with disaster research in the post-9/11 period, first in application of prior research findings to the new situation and later in consultation on the design and development of new research specific to 9/11. The article begins by reviewing the important role of the science of disaster mental health, which was reinforced by the many requests for information from prior research for application to the post-9/11 situation. Next, the article summarizes enduring principles of disaster research application that apply across disaster sites, including 9/11. Addressing unique aspects of the post-9/11 setting, novel considerations for the disaster mental health field are introduced with a new model for conceptualization of subpopulations based on exposure level. Experience in developing research in the post-9/11 setting encountered a number of issues, suggesting need for new policy recommendations that may facilitate research in future disaster settings.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.psc.2004.03.001
DO - 10.1016/j.psc.2004.03.001
M3 - Review article
C2 - 15325495
AN - SCOPUS:4344575774
SN - 0193-953X
VL - 27
SP - 589
EP - 602
JO - Psychiatric Clinics of North America
JF - Psychiatric Clinics of North America
IS - 3
ER -