Psychiatry of Pandemics. A Mental Health Response to Infection Outbreak

Historical Context.- History of Plagues and Their Impact on Human Civilizations.- Pandemics and Modern Medicine.- Pandemics and Psychiatry.- Spanish flu of 1918.- Smallpox Outbreak of 1972.- HIV Epidemic.- SARS (2003).- Ebola Outbreak 2015.- MERS.- Zika Virus Outbreak.- Contagion as a Psychological Concept.- Emotional Epidemiology.- Cultural Aspects of a Pandemic.- Managing Public Perceptions and the Use of Social Media.- Effect on Mental health Patients.- Burden on Healthcare Personnel.- Psychological Challenges for Institutions and Communities.- History of Quarantine.- Mental Health Challenges Associated with Quarantine and Isolation.- Care for Individuals in Quarantine and Patients in Isolation.- Mental Health Aspects of Immunization and Vaccination.- Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy.- Mental health Care for Survivors.- Mental Health Care for Family Members of the Patients.- Mental Health Care and Psychological Support for Healthcare Personnel.

This book focuses on how to formulate a mental health response with respect to the unique elements of pandemic outbreaks. Unlike other disaster psychiatry books that isolate aspects of an emergency, this book unifies the clinical aspects of disaster and psychosomatic psychiatry with infectious disease responses at the various levels, making it an excellent resource for tackling each stage of a crisis quickly and thoroughly. The book begins by contextualizing the issues with a historical and infectious disease overview of pandemics ranging from the Spanish flu of 1918, the HIV epidemic, Ebola, Zika, and many other outbreaks. The text acknowledges the new infectious disease challenges presented by climate changes and considers how to implement systems to prepare for these issues from an infection and social psyche perspective. The text then delves into the mental health aspects of these crises, including community and cultural responses, emotional epidemiology, and mental health concerns in the aftermath of a disaster. Finally, the text considers medical responses to situation-specific trauma, including quarantine and isolation-associated trauma, the mental health aspects of immunization and vaccination, survivor mental health, and support for healthcare personnel, thereby providing guidance for some of the most alarming trends facing the medical community.

Written by experts in the field, Psychiatry of Pandemics is an excellent resource for infectious disease specialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, immunologists, hospitalists, public health officials, nurses, and medical professionals who may work patients in an infectious disease outbreak.

Damir Huremovic, MD, North Shore University Hospital300 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030
Damir Huremovic is board certified in general psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine through the American Board of Psychiatry/Neurology and Psychosomatic Medicine. His interests include the mental health aspects of infectious diseases, consultation-liaison services, and integrated care. He assumed various prestigious roles over the course of his 13 years at Nassau University Medical Center before moving to North Shore University Hospital in 2016.