Psychological Responses among Humidifier Disinfectant Disaster Victims and Their Families

Yoo, Seonyoung; Sim, Minyoung; Choi, Jungwon; Jeon, Kyoungsun; Shin, Jungha; Chung, Seockhoon; Hong, Sang-Bum; Lee, So-Yeon; Hong, Soo-Jong

The aim of the psychological support from NCMH was to screen the high risk group regarding mental health via telephone, and in case of need, refer them to the local mental health centers in communities for psychological treatment. Psychological support was carried out in accordance with the psychological support guidelines which had been shared with Asan Medical Center (Seoul) and 5 regional National Mental Health Centers. Also, trained mental health specialists and psychiatrists in charge of intervention via telephone had been educated about the procedure and the interview process in advance, and all results of the telephone counseling were shared with the psychological support team in the NCMH every day. Based on the same psychological support guidelines, mental health specialists or psychiatrists conducted primary telephone counseling and visited each subject in case of necessity from June to December 2016. A mental health specialist conducted psychological evaluation through open-ended conversations using semi-structured questions (e.g., "Have you experienced insomnia since the event?"). The evaluation interview included previous physical or mental illness, respiratory symptoms, emotional responses (e.g., sadness, depression, anger, anxiety, fear, and guilt), and behavioral responses (e.g., insomnia, avoidance, and isolation). Subjects were informed of the purpose of the counseling as well as the fact that continued counseling would be available if they provided consent.