Psychology of Emergencies and Disasters in Brazil: An Literature Review

Abstract

Emergency and calamitous situations are routinely in the news and social media, producing strong collective commotion and solidarity in people. Understanding the psychosocial implications of these tragic events in the lives of the affected subjects becomes an important task for the various professionals. This article aims to carry out a systematic review on the performance of psychology professionals in various contexts of disasters and emergencies, between 2010 and 2023, in order to assess in which of these extreme scenarios Brazilian psychologists are acting. From 221 productions retrieved from the electronic databases BVS, Scielo and PePSic, 9 articles were included that were aligned to the eligibility criteria. The results point to specificities in the ways psychologists act in emerging events, operating both through public policies in interventions during and/or after disasters and through articulation in multiprofessional actions. The discussion showed that although the field of Psychology of Emergencies and Disasters is recent, during the last few years, theoretical-practical consolidations have been noted. The contributions of the articles are evidenced by the compilation of different practices and interventions with the purpose of guiding the work of psychologists who work in extreme situations in different regions of the country.