Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T05:54:31.991Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reaction to Severe Stress and Adjustment Disorders After the September 2017 Earthquakes in a Psychiatric Emergency Department in Mexico City

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2019

Ana Fresán ,
Rebeca Robles-García ,
Claudia Becerra-Palars ,
Manuel Alejandro Muñoz-Suárez ,
Omar Rangel-Cupa ,
Brisa Gissel Monroy-Cortés  and
Alejandro Molina-Lopez Open the ORCID record for Alejandro Molina-Lopez [Opens in a new window]
Ana Fresán
Affiliation:
Clinical Research Directorate, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico
Rebeca Robles-García
Affiliation:
Epidemiologic and Social Research Directorate, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico
Claudia Becerra-Palars
Affiliation:
Clinical Services Directorate, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico
Manuel Alejandro Muñoz-Suárez
Affiliation:
Hospitalization and Continuous Psychiatric Care Directorate, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico
Omar Rangel-Cupa
Affiliation:
Postgraduate Specialization Course in Psychiatric Emergencies, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
Brisa Gissel Monroy-Cortés
Affiliation:
Continuous Psychiatric Care Department, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico
Alejandro Molina-Lopez*
Affiliation:
Continuous Psychiatric Care Department, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Alejandro Molina-Lopez, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de la Fuente, Continuous Psychiatric Care Department, Mexico City, 14375, Mexico (e-mail: [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

Earthquakes may lead to a reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorders (RSSAD). On September 7, 19, and 23, 2017, Mexico was struck by many severe earthquakes. The aim of this study was to examine whether there was an increase in the number of consultations and RSSAD in a psychiatric emergency department in Mexico City after these earthquakes.

Methods

We studied retrospectively the diagnosis and triage assessment from a Mexican psychiatric emergency department database from September 1 to November 30, 2017, and analyzed RSSAD and the number of consultations after the earthquakes.

Results

A total of 1,811 psychiatric emergency consultations were registered from the period of study. A total of 141 consultations represented RSSAD. There was a significant increase of RSSAD after the September 23, 2017, earthquake. The triage assessment revealed that the urgency of the consultations was higher immediately after the earthquakes.

Conclusion

Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, may trigger diverse RSSAD leading to increased emergency consultations, especially when those disasters are repetitive. Mental health professionals should be adequately trained and sensitized for possible acute disaster victims. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:686–690).

Keywords

earthquakespsychiatric emergency servicestriage
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , August 2019 , pp. 686 - 690
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Wu, Z, Xu, J, He, L. Psychological consequences and associated risk factors among adult survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. BMC Psychiatry. 2014;14:126.10.1186/1471-244X-14-126CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bitrán, D. Características del impacto socioeconómico de los principales desastres ocurridos en México en el período 1980–99. In: Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil, ed. Ciudad de México: Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres. Mexico City, Mexico; 2001.Google Scholar
De la Fuente, R. Las consecuencias del desastre en la salud mental. Salud Mental. 1986;9:3-8.Google Scholar
Tapia-Conyer, R, Sepúlveda-Amor, J, Medina-Mora, M, et al. Prevalencia del síndrome de estrés postraumático en la población sobreviviente a un desastre natural. Salud Pública de México. 1987;29:406-411.Google Scholar
Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Servicio Sismológico Nacional. México; 2017. http://www.ssn.unam.mx/.Google Scholar
Hernández, B, Téllez, M. La importancia de la atención a la salud mental en una situación de desastre. Experiencia de brigadas de apoyo psicológico de emergencia universitarias después del Sismo del 19 de septiembre 2017 en México. Revista Salud UIS. 2017;49:513-516.Google Scholar
Secretaría de Protección Civil de la Ciudad de México (SPCCDMX). Reporte: Septiembre 23, 2017, 9:12 AM. Ciudad de México; 2017.Google Scholar
Galea, S, Brewin, C, Gruber, M, et al. Exposure to hurricane-related stressors and mental illness after Hurricane Katrina. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64:1427-1434.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, R, Galea, S, Jones, R, Parker, H. Mental illness and suicidality after Hurricane Katrina. Bull World Health Organ. 2006;84:930-939.10.2471/BLT.06.033019CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Griensven, F, Chakkraband, M, Thienkrua, W, et al. Mental health problems among adults in tsunami-affected areas in southern Thailand. JAMA. 2006;296:537-548.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sakuma, A, Ueda, I, Rengi, S, et al. Increase in the number of admissions to psychiatric hospitals immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2017. doi:10.1111/appy.12307.Google ScholarPubMed
Molina-López, A, Cruz-Islas, J, Palma-Cortés, M, et al. Validity and reliability of a novel Color-Risk Psychiatric Triage in a psychiatric emergency department. BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 1992.Google Scholar
Cassachia, M, Bianchini, V, Mazza, M, et al. Acute stress reactions and associated factors in the help-seekers after the L’Alquila earthquake. Psychopathology. 2013;46:120-130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nixon, R, Bryant, R. Induced arousal and reexperiencing in acute stress disorder. J Anxiety Dis. 2005;19:587-594.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Molina, A, Lopez-Pedraza, M, Morales-Gordillo, N, et al. Activity indicators over five years in a psychiatric emergency department of voluntary care from a Mexican psychiatric hospital. Salud Mental. 2014;37:467-475.Google Scholar
Eriksson, J, Gellerstedt, L, Hilleras, P, Craftman, A. Registered nurses’ perception of safe care in overcrowded emergency departments. J Clin Nurs. 2017. doi:10.1111/jocn.14143.Google Scholar
Aitken, P, Franklin, R, Lawlor, J, et al. Emergency department presentations following Tropical Cyclone Yasi. PLoS One. 2015;10:e0131196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farooqui, M, Quadri, S, Suriya, S, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder: a serious post-earthquake complication. Trends Psychiatry Psychother. 2017;39:135-143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neria, Y, Nandi, A, Galea, S. Post-traumatic stress disorder following disasters: a systematic review. Psychol Med. 2008;38:467-480.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Botha Pedersen, M, Gjerlan, A, Rund, B, et al. Emergency preparedness and role clarity among rescue workers during the terror attacks in Norway July 22, 2011. PLoS One. 2016;11:e0156536.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cetrano, G, Tedeschi, F, Rabbi, L, et al. How are compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction affected by quality of working life? Findings of a survey of mental health staff in Italy. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17:755.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed