Many people affected by emergencies experience distress, which often improves over time. Common symptoms of distress include feelings of anxiety and sadness, irritability, fatigue, hopelessness, difficulty sleeping, or physical symptoms of aches and pains. People with mental health conditions can be more likely to experience an increase in symptoms during emergencies. Some people may need assistance with daily activities or require physical and mental health care. Emergencies can disrupt access to regular mental health treatment, leading to medication shortages and worsening symptoms.
Standard guidelines recommend services at a number of levels ̶ from basic services to clinical care ̶ and indicate that mental health care needs to be readily available for specific, urgent mental health problems as part of the health response.
Despite their tragic nature and adverse effects on mental health, emergencies can present opportunities to provide and sustain mental health care services for all people.
In addition to mental health counseling services, there are apps that promote healthy techniques for managing stress, seeking help with life challenges, and addressing health problems in response to emergency and non-emergency situations.
