The 6.4 magnitude earthquake on the morning of February 6, 2016 caused several buildings in Tainan to collapse. As the crucial time for rescue passes, many family and relatives of victims who were hoping for miracles had their hopes dashed as their loved ones’ remains are discovered. We can only imagine the grief and emotional distress felt by family members. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) immediately initiated a peace-of-mind program to provide psychiatric support and consultation services for the public. The ministry will face this disaster with disaster victims and their families, and overcome this difficult time together. 

During natural disasters and accidents, the term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often mentioned. PTSD refers to the strong response exhibited by an individual after experiencing or witnessing strong and terrifying events. Four primary symptoms of PTSD are as follows: (1) re-experiencing the disaster; (2) avoiding disaster related items and people; (3) negative emotions and thoughts; and (4) excessive alertness. PTSD is only established if these symptoms persist over one month without alleviation and affects the victim’s daily life. 

It has been one week since the earthquake and some people may experience panic, anxiety, inattentiveness, insomnia, nightmares, or be frightened easily. This is acute stress disorder that occurs after a disaster and not PTSD. Generally speaking, acute stress disorder will gradually ease over several weeks or months after the incident, and most traumatic events will not produce PTSD in individuals, so the public does not need to be overly worried. However, if symptoms persist for over a month, then we recommend the afflicted seek professional medical care early and further assess whether it is indeed PTSD. If PTSD is diagnosed, early treatment can help you get over your grief. Currently, medical care personnel can use medicinal or psychiatric care, or both, to treat PTSD. 
The National Mental Health and Mental Health Services Resource Manual and the Disaster Psychological Rehabilitation Questions can be downloaded from the MOHW’s official website (http://www.mohw.gov.tw). These documents list all the addresses and phone numbers of mental health institutions in Taiwan, and provide information on how to proceed with post-disaster psychological rehabilitation for reference. The MOHW will accompany disaster victims in overcoming their grief during this difficult time.