A Survey on the Public Perceptions of Disaster-Related Mental Health Service / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

Objectives@#This study examined post-disaster mental health problems and related public perception of disaster-related mental health services. The differences of these perceptions according to the disaster experience and disaster type were also investigated. @*Methods@#Data were collected via telephone and online surveys, and information from 2928 respondents was analyzed. The participants were allocated across age, sex, and residence area. @*Results@#Those who had experienced disasters showed a more negative perception of post-disaster mental health services than those who had not. While natural disaster survivors most often reported financial problems as secondary stressors after a disaster, social disaster survivors were more likely to report mental health problems. Regarding national mental health support for disaster, disaster-experiencing respondents more often tended to prefer mental health services than non-disaster-experiencing respondents. @*Conclusion@#The current study can help understand the public perception of disaster-related mental health and the needs of mental health services. These findings could suggest directions and grounds for policies of a national support system for disaster-related mental health.