Mental health in times of crisis: organization and procedures for providing psychological help

In a majority of exposed individuals mass crisis situations, such as pandemics or earthquakes, would cause a stress reaction which may cause short-term or long-term mental health problems in some people. Organization of mental health care through a coordinated system of providing early psychological first aid procedures may have a preventive effect on the occurrence of mental disorders in the post-crisis period. The most important are the guidelines for the provision of psychological first aid and the organization of the mental health service during the crisis.

Key words:
mass crisis situations; mental health; psychological first aid; stress response