The National Biodefense Science Board approves Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee recommendations

At its November 18 public meeting in Arlington, VA, the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) unanimously approved a set of recommendations from the Disaster Mental Health (DMH) Subcommittee. The NBSB submitted the recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for consideration and he acknowledged them in a letter to the NBSB.  These recommendations focus on ensuring that mental and behavioral health needs are systematically integrated into planning the public health aspects of disasters. The recommendations further address the phases before, during, and after disaster strikes in order to achieve a powerful and unified response.

Additional recommendations from the DMH Subcommittee address disaster mental and behavioral health education and training, communication and messaging, and intervention. The Subcommittee recommends to the Secretary that training programs be developed for emergency responders and that disaster mental health research be advanced. The Subcommittee also points to psychological first aid, an intervention model designed to promote psychological resilience, as a vital component to disaster recovery.

An important aim of the recommendations is to foster psychological resilience at both the individual and community level in the event of a disaster or public health emergency. By taking action to promote resilience, people and communities will be able to better recover from a catastrophe. It is important for individuals and the community as a whole to remain connected and feel that there is hope and that they have some sort of control in the situation.

Particular emphasis was also placed on vulnerable and at-risk populations, ensuring that they are addressed in all facets of disaster planning, preparedness, recovery, and research. Vulnerable populations are those who may experience functional needs following disaster and may include children, older adults, people from diverse cultures, or individuals with disabilities.

“The Subcommittee has developed a set of comprehensive and innovative recommendations,” said Daniel Dodgen, Ph.D., executive director of the DMH Subcommittee. “It is truly amazing what great work has been accomplished in so short a time."

Established by the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006, the NBSB provides expert advice and guidance to the Secretary on scientific, technical, and other matters of special interest to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding current and future chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological agents, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate. The Board may also provide advice and guidance to the Secretary on other matters related to public health emergency preparedness and response.

For the full report from the DMH Subcommittee, please visit http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/conferences/nbsb/081118meeting. For further information, contact Dr. Leigh Sawyer at (202) 205-3815 or e-mail nbsb@hhs.gov. Information on the NBSB and the DMH Subcommittee can be found online at http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/omsph/nbsb.