Disaster and Mental Health Concepts Quiz

Disaster and Emergency Concepts

• Disasters are serious disruptions affecting communities or societies, leading to widespread losses surpassing local coping abilities.
• Emergencies require prompt response and resources to avoid escalation into disasters.

Impact of Disasters and Emergencies

• Disasters greatly affect individuals, families, and communities, resulting in loss of life, injury, displacement, and emotional trauma.
• Mental health impacts include stress, anxiety, and psychological disorders, necessitating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS).
• Vulnerable groups require special consideration in emergency responses to protect their rights and wellbeing.

Hazard Definitions

• A hazard refers to any process, phenomenon, or activity that potentially causes harm, including loss of life and economic disruptions.
• Natural hazards arise from geological processes (e.g., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), hydro-meteorological events (e.g., floods, storms), and biological phenomena (e.g., pandemics).

Human-Induced Hazards

• Technological hazards stem from industrial accidents and failures (e.g., oil spills, nuclear accidents).
• Armed conflicts create dangerous conditions that lead to widespread destruction (e.g., terrorism, civil war).
• Everyday hazards, especially for children, include household items that pose risks (e.g., choking hazards, electrical outlets).

Hazard and Disaster Relationship

• Not all hazards result in disasters; for example, a typhoon hitting an uninhabited island does not constitute a disaster.
• A disaster emerges when a hazard causes significant harm to life, livelihoods, and properties.

Disaster Risk

• Disaster risk is the potential for human, material, economic, or environmental losses during hazard occurrence.
• It is influenced by hazard strength and the community’s exposure, vulnerability, and capacity to handle the hazard.
• The disaster risk relationship can be articulated as:
  • ( R = \frac{Hazard \times Vulnerability \times Exposure}{Capacity} )
• Vulnerability refers to community characteristics that increase susceptibility to hazards, while exposure indicates the likelihood of experiencing hazard events.