Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2025

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Provision of mental health services immediately following a natural disaster: Experiences after Hurricane Maria in
Michelle E Alto1, Andel V Nicasio2, Regan Stewart2
1Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; now at: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9408-1299.
Objective:
The increased risk of mental health disorders in the months and years following a natural disaster highlights the need for more immediate preventive intervention. The objective of the current study was to learn from a real-time implementation of a natural disaster response following the Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to identify strategies for providing mental health services immediately after a natural disaster.
Methods:
Two focus groups were held with faculty (n = 6) and graduate students (n = 4) from a graduate psychology program at the Universidad Carlos Albizu, Centro Universitario Mayagüez. An additional key informant interview was conducted with two faculty member participants. Data were analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis.
Results:
The delivery of mental health services was organized into three major themes: (1) finding a way to communicate, (2) targeting key access points for outreach and centralization of resources, and (3) providing triaged mental health care based on level of need.
Conclusions:
Findings are used to guide recommendations for mental health response preparation in future natural disaster contexts.
Related Concept Videos
Specialized Care Centers and Settings-I
Daycare centers
They provide several functions. Some facilities care for healthy newborns and children whose parents work, while others are medically focused and care for...
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Acute Coronary Syndrome IV: Interprofessional Care
Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...

