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Disaster mental health risk reduction: appraising disaster mental health research as if risk mattered.

Reifels, L., Dückers, M.L.A. Disaster mental health risk reduction: appraising disaster mental health research as if risk mattered. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: 2023, 20(11), p. Art. nr. 5923. This article belongs to the Special Issue Disaster Mental Health Risk Reduction
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Until recently, the intersection of Disaster risk reduction (DRR) and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) has received relatively little systematic attention. Despite a growing recognition of the importance of mental health in global disaster policy (such as the UNDRR Sendai and WHO Health EDRM Frameworks), the intersections of our current approaches to disaster risk reduction and efforts to address mental health and psychosocial aspects in disaster and emergency contexts are still relatively poorly understood. As such, it is pivotal that we deepen our understanding of this intersection and develop the practical and scientific knowledge required to advance this field in the future.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Disaster Mental Health Risk Reduction, that provides a unique opportunity to further examine insufficiently explored themes and intersections of MHPSS and DRR across the various stages of the disaster life cycle and across geographies. The contributions in this Special Issue are brought together through the integrative perspective of Disaster Mental Health
Risk Reduction, with the aim to better understand, manage, and reduce future mental health and psychosocial risks associated with disasters and emergencies.