Activity Report of the “Heart and Mind Counseling/Relaxation
Salon” Temporary Housing Support ProjectMiyagi Psychiatric Center
Occupational Therapist – Akemi Kayama
1. Introduction
It has been three years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. March 11, 2011 is a day we cannot
forget.
An unprecedented earthquake and the tsunami that came after it swallowed up many buildings, agreat deal of property, and far too many precious lives. The nuclear accident, which has yet to be
fully resolved, and the damage caused by subsequent rumors—all of these damages have brought
about major changes in the lives of residents of affected areas. For the past three years, those whohave been forced to move to container-type temporary housing or private rental housing have lived
with psychological, social, and economic problems.
Immediately after the earthquake, there were voices at our hospital saying, “Is there any support
we can provide for the survivors?” and “We have to provide support.” In response to these voices,
we decided to start supporting individuals in container-type temporary housing in Natori City andYamamoto Town with the agreement of the hospital’s officials, including Director Kodaka. Our
support activities started in actuality in June, about two months after the disaster.
2. Heart and Mind Counseling/Relaxation Salon Activity Details
The “Heart and Mind Counseling/Relaxation Salon” temporary housing support project, startedin June 2011, was held 14 times in Natori and 10 times in Yamamoto in FY 2012. In FY 2013, it
was implemented 10 times in Yamamoto Town, and the initiative was concluded on February 21,
2014. The number of participants over these three years was 496 in Natori and 384 in Yamamoto,yielding a total of 880. The support staff consisted mainly of doctors, occupational therapists, andpsychiatric social workers, as well as pharmacists and registered dietitians. We also received thecooperation of the Natori City Medical Association. From 2012, it was implemented as acommissioned project of the MDMHCC in collaboration with their staff.

ScheduleDr
13:30
14:00
14:30

Ns., PSW, OT

eception/blood pressure measurement/call-outs
Health lectures
Individual
counseling

Stretching
Handicrafts*
Tea party
Clean-up

15:30*Bookmarks, chopstick stands, fans, streamers,
Christmas cards, acrylic scrubbing brushes, etc.

Programs were designed so that mental problems could be worked on without bringing them tothe fore. We decided to conduct blood pressure measurement, counseling, and health lectures(doctors, pharmacists, registered dietitians, etc.), followed by stretching, teatime, handicrafts
sessions, and so on, overseen mainly by occupational therapists. Through this agenda, we tried toenable participants to express their anxiety and traumatic experiences in as natural a way as possible.
The number of participants varied from around 10 to 20 depending on the housing complex. Prior
to the start of support activities, PR activities were conducted alongside individual visits so thatelderly people, people living alone, and people with disabilities would not be isolated. Dependingon the size of the container-type temporary housing development, the age group of the residents,
their original place of residence, and so on, the situation of the participants and the issues theybrought up differed, and thus our support efforts have involved a bit of trial and error.
- 82 -3. Significance of this Activity as Seen Through Participant Questionnaires
In FY 2013, the third year of our activities, we conducted a questionnaire survey during containertype temporary housing support in Yamamoto Town. The results are shown below. The number ofrespondents was 65. Of these, 24% had something they were worried about. To my surprise, only
16% of the respondents answered that they had consulted with a doctor. In terms of motivation forparticipation, 68% were intrigued by the leaflets distributed to all households in advance, indicatingthat the leaflets encouraged participation. As for programs that participants were glad to have taken
part in, 70% chose handicrafts, 64% chose tea talks, and 62% chose stretching, indicating thepopularity of hands-on programs.
4. Thoughts of Participants and Supporters
At every venue, many people participated because they wanted to speak and to be heard, andmany expressed their experiences associated with the earthquake and the stress of living in thecramped quarters of container-type temporary housing. In addition, a local public health nurse
commented, “It would be nice if the participants could come home with a smile at the end of makingthings.”
In January 2014, we had a meeting with Yamamoto Town regarding the coming year, and it was
decided that this project would be handed over to the MDMHCC; thus, our institution’s support
project came to an end. On March 14, our supporters held a temporary housing support general
meeting, where we looked back on our past three years as supporters. We received feedback
including the following: “The fact that we were able to start our work quickly after the disaster andcontinue to develop it led to a sense that the residents of temporary housing were really changing forthe better, and that made me feel good.” In this way, we were able to recap the activities of oursupporters and confirm that our involvement achieved what is generally expected of a medicalinstitution.
5. Points for Container-Type Temporary Housing Support
This concludes our report on the Heart and Mind Counseling/Relaxation Salon project we haveengaged in over the past three years. Through this activity, we have learned a great deal, not only as
supporters but about life and how to live it. Overall, we have learnt about the following:① Providing knowledge② Providing a place for people to speak freely③ Providing a place where people can take care of their minds and bodies④ Providing a place for participants to independently get involved in activities⑤ Providing a place for continuous support⑥ Allowing professionals to work together to manage programs and enable them to use their professional strengths therein⑦ Referring issues that become visible to affiliated organizations
Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to those who assisted us in the management of theHeart and Mind Counseling/Relaxation Salon project.

- 83 -