Global Disasters
Advancing Global Collaboration in Disaster Research and Practice
Theme leaders
Tatiana Davidson (1) & Damion Grasso (2)
1) Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
2) University of Connecticut, West Hartford, CT 06119, USA
Please contact the theme leaders Tatiana Davidson or Damion Grasso if you would like to initiate new projects or have other ideas about global collaboration related to this topic. You can also directly submit your project proposal here.
Disasters, including natural hazards, human-caused events, and future pandemics, are global challenges that threaten the health, well-being, and resilience of individuals, communities, and health systems worldwide. Addressing these complex events requires international collaboration to advance research, policy, and best practices across the disaster continuum. This theme welcomes collaboration on all aspects of disaster research and practice related to preparedness, response, and recovery. While areas of interest include topics such as early interventions, mental health, technology-enabled care, community resilience, health systems, and workforce support, we welcome contributions across the full spectrum of disaster-related research, policy, and practice.
Projects
Please find COVID-19 projects here.
Bounce Back Now (BBN)
A scalable digital mental health intervention for disaster survivors
Project leaders: Kenneth J. Ruggiero & Tatiana M. Davidson, Medical University of South Carolina, USA
Project group: (in alphabetical order) Ron Acierno, Arthur Andrews, Zoe M.F. Brier, Brian E. Bunnell, Gregory Cohen, Jennifer Dahne, Sandro Galea, Tonya Hazelton, Dean Kilpatrick, Matthew Price.
Background
Disasters can create widespread mental health needs at a time when traditional services may be disrupted or overwhelmed. Bounce Back Now (BBN) was developed to help bridge this gap by putting practical, evidence-based support directly into the hands of disaster survivors. This scalable digital self-help intervention helps people monitor their recovery, learn coping strategies, address posttraumatic stress, depression, and sleep difficulties, and connect with professional resources when needed. BBN has been evaluated with both adults and adolescents affected by disasters. In a large trial with 1,357 adults affected by five major Unites States hurricanes, BBN users experienced greater improvements in posttraumatic stress, depression, and sleep difficulties than those receiving enhanced usual care, with benefits maintained through 12 months. Building on these findings, our next goal is to expand BBN globally by partnering with investigators and communities to culturally adapt, implement, and evaluate the intervention across diverse disaster-affected settings.
Aims
This research aims to evaluate the reach, engagement, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of BBN as a scalable digital approach to supporting mental health recovery following disasters, while expanding its implementation and evaluation across countries, cultures, and disaster contexts.
Methods
The randomized controlled trial included 1,357 adults affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, Florence, and Michael. Participants were recruited through social media and randomized to either BBN or an enhanced usual care mobile app, with assessments at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months. The study examined posttraumatic stress, depression, and sleep difficulties, along with disaster exposure and impact, prior trauma, substance use, social support, mental health service use, behavioral activation and avoidance, and engagement with BBN.
Current Status
Data collection for the U.S. trial is complete, but the next phase of BBN is focused on expanding its reach globally.
Collaborators are Welcome (CAW): We welcome collaborations with investigators and organizations interested in adapting, implementing, or evaluating BBN in disaster-affected communities worldwide, including regions affected by hurricanes, typhoons, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and other disasters. We also welcome investigators interested in secondary analyses of existing data and opportunities to extend BBN to new populations and settings. Our goal is to build an international network of collaborators working to make scalable, evidence-based mental health support available to disaster survivors across diverse global contexts. If interested, please contact Tatiana Davidson.
Publications:
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Pavlacic, J. M., Walker, J. H., Andrews III, A. R., Galea, S., & Ruggiero, K. J. (2026). A Longitudinal Analysis of Self‐Rated Health Correlates and Predictors in Hurricane Survivors. Journal of Clinical Psychology.
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Hidalgo, J. E., Burt, K. B., Davidson, T. M., Ruggiero, K. J., Andrews, A. R., Contractor, A. A., Peck, K., McGinnis, E. W., Ha, J., Noble, N. C., Kim, J. N., Ramirez, V., & Price, M. (2025). Posttraumatic stress disorder factor structure in hurricane-affected Puerto Ricans: A PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 comparison with non-Latiné Whites. Journal of Traumatic Stress.
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Ruggiero, K. J., Andrews, A., Davidson, T. M., Gavrilova, Y., Bunnell, B. E., Dahne, J., Price, M., Brier, Z. M. F., Cohen, G., Kilpatrick, D., Acierno, R., & Galea, S. (2025). Randomized controlled trial of Bounce Back Now, a mobile application to reduce post-disaster symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depressed mood, and sleep disturbance. The American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Andrews, A. R., Acosta, L. M., Perez Villagomez, L., Davidson, T. M., Galea, S., & Ruggiero, K. J. (2025). Does digital health improve equity for Latine mental health after a disaster? Evidence from a randomized trial with 2017 and 2018 hurricane survivors. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.
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Pavlacic, J. M., Ruggiero, K. J., Andrews III, A. R., Price, M., & Rheingold, A. A. (2024). Behavioral activation is associated with post‐disaster mental health: Secondary longitudinal analysis from a population‐based study. Journal of clinical psychology, 80(2), 291-305.
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Gavrilova, Y., Witcraft, S., Davidson, T. M., Ruggiero, K., Galea, S., & Andrews, T., (2024). The impact of a mobile disaster mental health intervention for depression and PTSD on post-disaster alcohol use. The Behavior Therapist.
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Córdoba‐Salgado, O., Andrews, A. R., Davidson, T. M., Galea, S., & Ruggiero, K. J. (2023). Longitudinal and bidirectional associations between posttraumatic stress disorder and emotional support among disaster‐affected men and women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 36(4), 727-737.
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Haws, J. K., Laifer, L. M., Acosta, L. M., Ralston, A. L., Ruggiero, K. J., Davidson, T. M., & Andrews III, A. R. (2023). A distinction without a difference? A multi-method approach to understanding PTSD and depression symptom overlap among disaster-exposed adolescents. Research on child and adolescent psychopathology, 51(7), 1021-1035.
TENTS Guidelines - Update
Disaster preparedness, readiness and response: updating the TENTS guidelines for post-disaster mental health and psychosocial support
Project leaders: Chris Hoeboer, Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands; Stéfanie Fréel, Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands; Elizabeth Rochon, University of Vermont, USA; Miranda Olff, Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands
Project group (alphabetically): Marina Ajduković, University of Zagreb, Croatia; Dean Ajduković, University of Zagreb, Croatia; Jonathan Bisson, Cardiff University, UK; Maria Bragesjö, Karolinska Institute, Sweden; Ferdinand Garoff, Trauma Centre Finland; Joanne Mouthaan, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Anke Witteveen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands; supported by a large Advisory Board.
Background
Emergency events and disasters, including natural hazards and mass casualty incidents, are potentially traumatic experiences that can severely affect people’s livelihoods, health and wellbeing. As the frequency and impact of global disasters increase, there is an urgent need for effective, evidence‑based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to prevent, identify and treat post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma‑related disorders among affected populations. The European Network for Traumatic Stress (TENTS) post‑disaster psychosocial care guidelines, published in 2008, were an important milestone. However, they predate both the rapid expansion of the scientific literature and the emergence of new types of crises and threats.
Aims
This project aims to produce an updated, standardized, European‑wide guideline for disaster‑related mental health and psychosocial support, with relevance for global practice.
Methods
The work proceeds in three main stages.
First, we are updating the original TENTS systematic review with studies published since 2008 (see here) on prevention, assessment and treatment of disaster‑related traumatic stress (PROSPERO registration: CRD420251058810).
Second, we are conducting a cross‑sectional stakeholder survey across countries in the broader European region and neighbouring contexts. The survey maps existing MHPSS capacity for emergency preparedness and response, identifies gaps in coordination, workforce, financing, service delivery and monitoring, and gathers priorities for guideline content, format and implementation support.
Third, the updated TENTS guidelines will be developed and refined through close collaboration with a dedicated workgroup, a European steering committee, and the Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress (GCTS) partner societies.
The resulting guideline and derivative products (e.g. peer‑reviewed publications, policy briefs, implementation toolkit) will offer evidence‑based, practice‑oriented recommendations on how best to prepare for and respond to disaster‑related traumatic stress.
Current status
Ongoing.
Updated guidelines will be presented at the ESTSS conference in Portugal, 3-6 June 2027.
