Abstract
Background: This practical report aims to publicize the ongoing disaster-related mental health interventions following the Great East Japan Earthquake during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Disaster-related mental health interventions consisted of: (1) screening high-risk evacuees with high psychological distress (Kessler 6 score ≥ 13) or binge drinking; and (2) visiting selected high-risk individuals and providing them counseling through outreach in evacuee housing. These activity records were compiled from existing material in the Sendai City Office; therefore, no new interviews or questionnaire surveys were conducted. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we introduced telephone counseling and shortened the time of support as a result of the restrictions. Counselors addressed issues of “loneliness” or “isolation” among evacuees, who had little connection with society due to the pandemic. Moreover, the procedure for obtaining COVID-19 special financial aid was explained to evacuees in financial difficulty. During this period, the suicide rates in the affected area did not increase significantly as compared to the national average. Conclusions: Our report may be instructive in terms of preventing suicide during the pandemic using high-risk approaches and counselors trained in disaster-related mental health interventions.
Highlights
The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) occurred in March 2011
We investigated the complex situation of disaster-related mental health interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared them with previous interventions
Comparison between the severely affected area and non-affected area in 2020, and the national average in 2020. This practical report demonstrated that disaster-related mental health interventions continued despite the COVID-19 pandemic; took the form of telephone. This practical report demonstrated that these disaster-related mental healthcounseling interventions and shortened counseling sessions as a result of the adverse conditions created by the continued despite the COVID-19 pandemic; these took the form of telephone counseling
Summary
The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) occurred in March 2011. An unprecedented9.0 magnitude earthquake generated a massive tsunami that threatened the coastal area facing the Pacific in the Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures in the Tohoku region.The devastating tsunami disaster led to more than 1000 causalities, with the number of evacuees in Sendai City reaching approximately 140,000. These devastating natural disasters and their aftermath are known to cause psychological distress in affected individuals [2,3], including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and suicidality [4,5,6]. Under these conditions, the male suicide rate in the affected area of the Miyagi prefecture exhibited a delayed increase 1.5 years after the occurrence of the disaster [7]. This practical report aims to publicize the ongoing disaster-related mental health interventions following the Great East Japan Earthquake during the COVID-19 pandemic
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