TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS – DISASTER PREPAREDNESS - MENTAL HEALTH

After a successful PyeongChang Winter Olympics, DSRM is already providing some assistance for an attendee to the Japan Games.

It would be a great mistake for providers of Risk Management services to focus wholly on the potential for earthquakes and ignoring other threats, given that Tokyo was the location of one of the most serious terrorist incidents of the 20th century (200metres from my front door at the time), and are ranked 18th in the world for violent crime.

But for those who do choose to focus their sales pitches on earthquake preparedness, I suggest the bigger area of concern should be the Para-Olympics which in the event of a major disaster could arguably require more than preparing a few cases of bottled water.

Beyond the rescue of already physically challenged individuals trapped below debris would be the psychological trauma. In athletes who became physically challenged in violent situations such as war there may well be a recurrence of any PTSD they had until that point recovered from.

There are generally four phases to disaster response, and we would be focussed on the first of those, particularly as it pertains to the psychological response of those affected. This generally consists of very strong emotions, feelings of disbelief, fear and confusion. These are normal responses to abnormal events.

The Olympic organisers will need to be conscious of the fact that there will be attendees from countries with less-developed or non-existent mental health recovery services and who may well go uncared for once returning home.

Should the organisers’ duty of care, its limitations and boundaries be established in advance of the Games? I suspect it will not be, but it is for the Risk Assessors to evaluate not just the Japanese Olympic sites, but the services available to disaster victims returning home.

DSRM - TRAVEL SMART~TRAVEL SAFE