Strengthening Collaboration in Disaster Mental Health Support

Abstract

In response to the increasing number of individuals experiencing various mental health issues following disasters, the government has been enhancing and providing a system for disaster mental health support. However, throughout the stages of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, challenges have emerged, such as the duplication of services provided by multiple entities and communication breakdowns at the field level. As a result, there has been a consistent demand for improved collaboration and the establishment of well-defined roles in disaster mental health support. Therefore, this study aims to reflect on the experience of collaboration in disaster mental health support in Korea and identify ways to strengthen collaborative systems for future disaster preparedness and response at the mental health policy level.