Mental health issues in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 Noto peninsula earthquake in Japan: Findings from the daily reports of emergency medical teams

This study aimed to examine temporal trends of mental health consultations, as recorded by Emergency Medical Teams during the three months following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Japan, and their associated factors. 12,104 health consultations performed between January 2 and March 31, 2024 were analyzed, using data from the Japan Surveillance in Post-Extreme Emergencies and Disasters system. Joinpoint regression was used to identify changes in the proportion of mental health consultations over time, while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with mental health consultations. Mental health consultations accounted for 6.8% of all consultations. Joinpoint analysis revealed six temporal phases, with a marked increase in mental health consultations observed during phase 5 (days 57–65 post-disaster), reaching a peak (38.3%) in phase 6 (days 66–72). Logistic regression analysis showed that females and individuals aged 15–64 years were more likely to receive mental health consultations, with adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 1.25 (1.07–1.47) and 2.21 (1.21–4.04), respectively. Consultations for physical health issues, such as infections, and injuries, were significantly negatively associated with mental health consultations. These findings underscore the need for phase-specific, population-targeted, and integrated mental health provision that extends beyond the acute phase of disaster response.