摘要：Objectives . We sought to estimate the extended mental health service capacity requirements of persons affected by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Methods . We developed a formula to estimate the extended mental health service capacity requirements following disaster situations and assessed availability of the information required by the formula. Results . Sparse data exist on current services and supports used by people with mental health problems outside of the formal mental health specialty sector. There also are few systematically collected data on mental health sequelae of disasters. Conclusions . We recommend research-based surveys to understand service usage in non–mental health settings and suggest that federal guidelines be established to promote uniform data collection of a core set of items in studies carried out after disasters. In the chaotic aftermath of a disaster, authorities are faced with the need to provide an extensive array of services to the affected population. Such a situation occurred after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when mental health and other related support systems mobilized to deliver services to persons who were psychologically or psychiatrically affected by the events. Planning efforts required estimates of both anticipated mental health needs and the capacity required to respond to these needs. The New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH), in conjunction with researchers from Columbia University’s Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health, conducted a mental health needs assessment. Their report focused on persons suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For this group, they estimated the breadth of the need, the likely number of services required, and sources of payment for care. 1– 3 Data were presented regarding the current capacity of the New York State mental health specialty sector, and a general formula to estimate the service capacity that would be required after a disaster appears in an appendix to that report. The rationale for the formula and its formulation are presented in this article. By envisioning the formula being applied to cover the largest population likely to seek help, information that is currently available to numerically calculate the value of the formula was identified, as were gaps that limit the ability to provide realistic estimates. An examination of these gaps has led to recommendations for local and national data collection that would enhance the potential for appropriate capacity planning following disasters. The formula, when applied in limited scope, has immediate utility for estimating the service requirements of priority populations. An example of this use is given for persons living below 110th Street in Manhattan and who experienced PTSD after the September 11 disaster.
