ABSTRACT
The impact of major disasters on mental health is well understood. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most commonly studied mental health problem observed in these studies (Norris and Elrod 2006; Norris et al. 2002). Prevalence rates range from 30 percent to 40 percent among direct victims, 10 percent to 20 percent among rescue workers, and 5 percent to 10 percent among the general population (Galea, Nandi, and Vlahov 2005).
