Mental health support for flooded populations in Emilia-Romagna, Italy

In May 2023, six months' worth of rain fell over Emilia-Romagna in 20 days, causing floods and landslides across around 100 municipalities: 17 fatalities, roughly 36,600 people displaced, over 600 roads closed, and an estimated EUR 8.6 billion in total damage, including 42% of cultivated land flooded.

Following national guidelines (DPCM 2006) and international IASC/WHO standards, the response aimed to reduce psychological distress, prevent onset of stress disorders, and support both the affected population and emergency workers, through a reception/triage phase followed by a transition phase of treatment or referral.

Three Civil Protection volunteer psychologist associations (Italian Red Cross, Società Italiana Psicologia dell'Emergenza Emilia-Romagna, Psicologi per i popoli Emilia-Romagna) deployed emergency psychologists using psychological first aid, Critical Incident Stress Management and psychoeducational meetings directly in shelters, neighbourhoods and schools, also supporting mayors' crisis communication, with daily coordination briefings across institutions.

Società Italiana Psicologia dell'Emergenza Emilia-Romagna sent around 7 volunteers per day between 17 May and 22 June 2023. The service was volunteer-based, generating little direct cost beyond travel expenses and small symbolic refunds for freelance professionals.

May 2023 marked the first time Italy launched a structured regional system to coordinate psychosocial disaster assistance. Limiting factors include the still-unimplemented 2006 national directive (no defined chain of command, minimum qualifications, or methodology) and the absence of psychological support teams embedded in regional Civil Protection volunteer convoys.