Throughout history there have been many theories about mental health in relation to trauma and the reaction of humans to certain circumstances. What do September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and Operation Iraqi Freedom have in common? They were all traumatic events that affected millions of people and their families. The events not only affected them physically but also mentally. Today's events have become more devastating with more mental effects leading to a new field of study, titled Disaster Mental Health. This will be a brief introduction to what comprises disaster mental health, the theories behind it, and who offers DMH professionals. Disasters and traumatic events have been captured by individuals for at least two centuries now, dating back to 1880. One of the first traumatic events that raised mental health concerns was a train crash in England. There were serious physical injuries beyond which medical personnel knew there was something else wrong with the victims but were unable to identify them (Halpern, 2007). These traumatic events and disasters continued to occur but no one determined or took into account the psychological consequences. aspect of events. It was only during the First World War that people realized the psychological impact of these events. People have started to realize the impact of technological advancements. World War I brought dynamite to the forefront, which proved to have a definitive effect on soldiers fighting in the war. The technology became an early trend in disaster mental health. As technology dependence and advances in technology became prevalent, so did the consequences if the technology failed or went wrong (Halpern, 2007). Events have become... middle of paper... about the well-being of all people involved in a disaster starting from the victims, first responders and emergency management personnel. They came to the conclusion that each individual perceives the event in his own way and can be influenced by it on different levels. The need for disaster mental health professionals has grown due to the large amount of unknowns surrounding the field and the increasing number of disasters around the world. Every day we are hit by disasters or traumatic events. Just yesterday there was a stabbing inside a Pittsburgh school where 21 people were stabbed and a lady was involved in a collision between two vehicles, almost losing her life. It is not known how these people will be affected psychologically, but it will impact them. This is where the field of disaster mental health comes in to help get their lives back into some sort of order.