A MENTAL-HEALTH RELIEF PROGRAM IN ARMENIA AFTER THE 1988 EARTHQUAKE -IMPLEMENTATION AND CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS

An international mental health relief programme for children and adult s was implemented in Soviet Armenia after the 7 December 1988 Spitak e arthquake. This paper presents: (a) the steps considered essential in the selection, preparation and support of mental health workers for th e relief work; (b) a method which facilitated the screening and treati ng of large numbers of students in their classrooms; (c) the rate of p ost-traumatic stress disorder (74%) and major depressive disorder (22% ) of 582 victims clinically evaluated before entering treatment three to six months after the earthquake; (d) clinical observations of signi ficant psychological problems that may be overlooked in brief crisis-o rientated psychotherapy; (e) multiple severe post-earthquake adversiti es (such as the collapse of the social network, the recurrence of afte r-shocks, the delay of reconstruction and the ongoing political turmoi l) which contributed to the psychological problems of the victims and delayed their recovery; (f) the extension of the outreach programme be yond its traditional therapeutic role to an advisory one to other reli ef organisations.