Enhancing Community Resilience in the Acute Aftermath of Disaster

Evaluation of a Disaster Mental Health Intervention

PI: Courtney Welton-Mitchell
Co-PI: Leah James
Partnering organizations: Soulaje Lespri Moun (Haiti) and Transcultural Psychosocial Organization-Nepal (Nepal)
Funding Period: 2014 – 2016
Funder: ELRHA: Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance and R2HC (Rapid): Research for Health in Humanitarian Crisis Donors: DFID and Wellcome Trust

This study evaluated a culturally-adapted community-based disaster mental health intervention designed to mitigate the impact of chronic annual flooding among vulnerable communities in Haiti and Nepal. The study used a longitudinal randomized controlled trial design to determine if the intervention was effective in enhancing community resilience by improving mental health and increasing engagement in disaster preparedness and response, including enabling community members to care for themselves and provide assistance to others when a natural disaster occurs.