MINDING MENTAL HEALTH MITIGATION GAP IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT: LEARNING FROM SEMERU ERUPTION IN INDONESIA

Date
Wed, 03.08.2022
Session Time
18:10 - 19:10
Session Type
ACCEPTED SYMPOSIUM
Presenter
  • Era Catur Prasetya (Indonesia)
Lecture Time
18:40 - 18:55
Room
NILE 3

Abstract

Abstract Body

The Mount Semeru crisis in Indonesia on Dec. 4 and 5 2021 killed at least 43 people, with some 13 people are missing and at least 3,000 housing units damaged. Thousands of residents, especially the Lumajang Regency, East Jawa were displaced and threatened with a mental health crisis in the next few months. Although the Law of the Republic of Indonesia of 2007 concerning Disaster Management (State Gazette of Republic of Indonesia Number 66, 2007) does explicitly state that disasters have a psychological impact and psychosocial support is a basic necessity. Less attention has been given to how mental health aspects affect the predisaster phase. Four strategies are proposed so that interventions can contribute to filling the mental health mitigation gap in mental health and psychosocial support: increasing stress resistance, promoting cohesion and social support, promoting positive cognition, and building self-efficacy and resilience. mitigation potentially benefits the general pubĀ¬lic and may reduce the need for medical or clinical mental health services. WHO (2007) compiled a list of essential components for a disaster preparedness plan to address the mental health and psychosocial aspects such as the developĀ¬ment of a risk communication strategy; the establishment of up-to-date and well-maintained communication equipment and infrastructure; and empowerment at the local level to launch first response actions. Build life skills in general (include leadership and personality or pfa skills training and seminars, in contrast to awareness campaigns and formal education) can increase positive cognition on a wider scale, thus should be well designed and strategically implemented

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