Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30782236›Full record

Trial reportPsychological medicine2020

Integrating mental health and disaster preparedness in intervention: a randomized controlled trial with earthquake and flood-affected communities in Haiti.

Leah Emily James, Courtney Welton-Mitchell, John Roger Noel, Alexander Scott James

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychological medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
52citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

52 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  15. Emergency medical rescue in debris flow disaster.American journal of medicine open · 2026
    Review
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  19. Climate change and social health.Nature human behaviour · 2026
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Leah Emily JamesInstitute of Behavioral Science, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado-Boulder, 483 UCB, Boulder, CO80309-0483, USA.
Courtney Welton-MitchellInstitute of Behavioral Science, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado-Boulder, 483 UCB, Boulder, CO80309-0483, USA.
John Roger NoelSoulaje Lespri Moun, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Alexander Scott JamesStatistician/Independent Consultant, New York, NY, USA.

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGiven the frequency of natural hazards in Haiti, disaster risk reduction is crucial. However, evidence suggests that many people exposed to prior disasters do not engage in disaster preparedness, even when they receive training and have adequate resources. This may be partially explained by a link between mental health symptoms and preparedness; however, these components are typically not integrated in intervention.

methodsThe current study assesses effectiveness of an integrated mental health and disaster preparedness intervention. This group-based model was tested in three earthquake-exposed and flood-prone communities (N = 480), across three time points, using a randomized controlled trial design. The 3-day community-based intervention was culturally-adapted, facilitated by trained Haitian lay mental health workers, and focused on enhancing disaster preparedness, reducing mental health symptoms, and fostering community cohesion.

resultsConsistent with hypotheses, the intervention increased disaster preparedness, reduced symptoms associated with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and functional impairment, and increased peer-based help-giving and help-seeking. Mediation models indicated support for the underlying theoretical model, such that the effect of the intervention on preparedness was mediated by mental health, and that effects on mental health were likewise mediated by preparedness.

conclusionsThe community-based mental health-integrated disaster preparedness intervention is effective in improving mental health and preparedness among community members in Haiti vulnerable to natural hazards. This brief intervention has the potential to be scaled up for use with other communities vulnerable to earthquakes, seasonal flooding, and other natural hazards.

Indexed as

EarthquakesFloodsNatural DisastersAdolescentAdultAgedCivil DefenseFemaleHaitiHumansMaleMental DisordersMental HealthMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultDisasterearthquakefloodHaitiinterventionmental healthpreparedness

Identifiers

PMID30782236
PMCPMC7083573

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.