Abstract
Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every country in the world. The responses and outcomes to the pandemic have varied by country. The variations have been associated with the culture, governance, and resources of each country. Emergency preparedness follows the four phases of planning: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. These phases are integral for a mature and functional emergency plan. Most plans do not factor in the emotional responses and mental health consequences of a pandemic. The purpose of this review is to develop a pandemic strategy that uses the four phases of emergency preparedness planning for training and addressing emotional responses and mental health outcomes of a catastrophic global infectious disease outbreak. Methods: The literature on COVID-19 emergency preparedness and mental health outcomes was reviewed. Results: Emotional reactions to public health measures vary depending on the clarity of communication and guidance by the leaders of each affected community. Isolation, anxiety, and depression are common responses to the impact of a pandemic. Risk factors for depression and mental health challenges include people who are essential frontline health and service workers, isolation, economic insecurity, and the duration of the quarantines. Conclusion: This commentary reviews the various nonmedical factors that contribute to stress and mental health challenges in a pandemic. Recommendations are given for planning and interventions in each of the 4 phases of emergency preparedness.
Highlights
There are many components to emergency preparedness and these components can be modified and applied to any disaster whether it is an earthquake or a pandemic
The purpose of this review is to develop a pandemic strategy that uses the four phases of emergency preparedness planning for training and addressing emotional responses and mental health outcomes of a catastrophic global infectious disease outbreak
While emergency preparedness focuses on disaster plans that include resource allocation, crisis standards of care, evacuation, and rescue, there has been little previous planning to factor in human behavior to determine how a population will respond to a pandemic leading to widespread illness and death
Summary
There are many components to emergency preparedness and these components can be modified and applied to any disaster whether it is an earthquake or a pandemic. While emergency preparedness focuses on disaster plans that include resource allocation, crisis standards of care, evacuation, and rescue, there has been little previous planning to factor in human behavior to determine how a population will respond to a pandemic leading to widespread illness and death. Preparedness is the state of readiness to respond to a disaster This phase has to do with having the imagination and experience to know what will be needed to protect people when disaster hits and plan for it. The preparedness planning cycle includes planning, organizing, equipping, evaluation, assessment, taking corrective action, more planning, and preparation (FEMA, 2020) This cycle emphasizes the need to constantly re-evaluate the plan and to upgrade and change it based on new experience and after-action analysis from previous disasters. Many aspects of response are universal, but response will be unique to the situation
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