Disaster Psychiatry in Haiti

Learning the theory of Disaster Psychiatry is one thing; applying it in the midst of a disaster is another. The International Medical Corps selected me to form a mental health crisis team serving five IMC mobile medical clinics in Petit-Goave. 70 to 80% of houses were damaged or destroyed killing large numbers; people constructed tent cities everywhere. Survivors from the Capitol poured steadily into the area. During the time of Papa Doc Duvalier in the 60's I worked as an anthropologist in Haiti outside of Leogane, doing research on voodoo spirit possession. When the devastating 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti in January, 2010, my deep love for her people moved me to volunteer. Leogane was the epicenter of the quake. A child psychiatrist, I worked with traumatized Haitian families, training Haitian doctors and nurses in disaster psychiatry, at the same time rediscovering myself in the midst of this devastating tragedy.