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Epidemiological Surveillance Linked to an Outreach Psychological Support Program after the Xynthia Storm in Charente-Maritime, France, 2010

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2012

Marie-Eve Raguenaud ,
Philippe Germonneau ,
Jackie Leseigneur ,
Jean-Jacques Chavagnat ,
Yvon Motreff ,
Martine Vivier-Darrigol  and
Philippe Pirard
Marie-Eve Raguenaud*
Affiliation:
French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS), Poitiers Regional Office, Poitiers, France
Philippe Germonneau
Affiliation:
French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS), Poitiers Regional Office, Poitiers, France
Jackie Leseigneur
Affiliation:
Hospital of La Rochelle, Psychiatry, Medico-Psychological Emergency Unit (CUMP) for the Département of Charente-Maritime, La Rochelle, France
Jean-Jacques Chavagnat
Affiliation:
University Hospital of Poitiers, Psychiatry, Medico-Psychological Emergency Unit (CUMP) for the Poitou-Charentes Region, Poitiers, France
Yvon Motreff
Affiliation:
French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS), Department of Environmental Health, Saint-Maurice, France
Martine Vivier-Darrigol
Affiliation:
Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Poitou-Charentes, Department of Public Health, Poitiers, France
Philippe Pirard
Affiliation:
French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS), Department of Environmental Health, Saint-Maurice, France
*
Correspondence: Marie-Eve Raguenaud, MD, MSc Cellule de l'Institut de Veille Sanitaire en Régions (Cire) Limousin et Poitou-Charentes Agence Régionale de Santé Poitou-Charentes 4, Rue Micheline Ostermeyer BP 20570 86 021 Poitiers CEDEX E-mail marie-eve.raguenaud@ars.sante.fr
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Abstract

Introduction

Following the Xynthia storm of February 2010 in France, an outreach program was initiated by the regional health authorities during the post-emergency phase to improve access to mental health care for the population exposed to the floods. The program was designed to complement routine health and social care services. It relied on a special telephone service and outreach consultations located in the town halls of the five most affected cities. The objective of this outreach service was to provide initial psychological counseling free of charge and without appointment. Another objective was to refer persons for appropriate treatment and follow-up by routine health care services. A surveillance program was developed to monitor the use of mental health services by first-time users, describe outreach service users with psychological manifestations, and provide timely information to decision makers.

Methods

Health providers working in affected towns were asked to complete an individual record sheet for each person who displayed psychological manifestations directly or indirectly linked with the storm on their first visit, and to send it to the regional health office. Participation was voluntary. Data analysis was performed monthly during the six-month surveillance period.

Results

Only mental health providers participated in the surveillance. A total of 227 individual files were sent from April 7 through September 19, 2010. New cases were mainly female adults, and one fifth had a past history of psychiatric illness. Depressive signs and anxiety were the most commonly reported symptoms, followed by signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. A total of five feedback reports were produced for surveillance participants (informants) and authorities.

Conclusion

With initiation in the post-emergency phase of a disaster and timely regular feedback, the surveillance program enabled the authors to describe the occurrence of psychological distress, monitor mental health service use by first-time users, and provide guidance to health authorities. This research showed the advantages of integrating epidemiology in the development of strategy for mental health and psychosocial support in the aftermath of natural catastrophes.

RaguenaudM-E, GermonneauP, LeseigneurJ, ChavagnatJJ, MotreffY, Vivier-DarrigolM, PirardP. Epidemiological Surveillance Linked to an Outreach Psychological Support Program after the Xynthia Storm in Charente-Maritime, France, 2010. Prehosp Disaster Med.2012;27(5):1-6.

Keywords

epidemiological surveillancemental healthnatural disasterpost-traumatic stress
Type
Brief Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , October 2012 , pp. 483 - 488
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

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