Mental health needs in the acute and subacute phases of the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake: Emergency Medical Information System data analysis in Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Team activities.

Abstract

Aim: As it is difficult to examine the mental health of disaster victims immediately after a disaster through the rigorous procedures required for academic papers, the overall mental state of victims immediately after a disaster is not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the actual mental health needs of victims during the transition from the acute and subacute phases to the chronic phase of the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake (NPE).

Methods: We obtained Emergency Medical Information System (EMIS) data for a period of ∼1 month during Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Team support from outside the prefecture in Suzu City and Noto Town. We then extracted the following variables of the supportees from the EMIS data: age, consultation stage, content of response, psychiatric treatment history, and diagnostic classification. We compared the variables between the 2 weeks immediately after the disaster (Phase 1) and the following 2 weeks (Phase 2).

Results: New consultations started mostly in Phase 1 and dropped in Phase 2. Consultations were initially dominated by victims with existing psychiatric disorders, but those on dementia-related problems and direct stress reactions to the disaster increased over time.

Conclusion: Information accumulated in the EMIS was useful for providing an overview of the mental state of communities affected by the 2024 NPE. The extracted findings may be useful for planning mental health measures for affected communities and preparing for future disasters, which may improve community resilience in affected areas.