Sampling and design challenges in studying the mental health consequences of disasters

✍ Scribed by Sandro Galea; Andrea R. Maxwell; Fran Norris

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 138 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1049-8931
• DOI: 10.1002/mpr.267

✦ Synopsis

Disasters are unpredictable and frequently lead to chaotic post-disaster situations, creating numerous methodologic challenges for the study of the mental health consequences of disasters. In this commentary, we expand on some of the issues addressed by Kessler and colleagues, largely focusing on the particular challenges of (a) defi ning, fi nding, and sampling populations of interest after disasters and (b) designing studies in ways that maximize the potential for valid inference. We discuss these challenges -drawing on specifi c examples -and suggest potential approaches to each that may be helpful as a guide for future work. We further suggest research directions that may be most helpful in moving the fi eld forward.