Bracing for mental health “tsunami”
January 5, 2024

Tracy Jalaba MA ’14, OTD ’15, associate professor of clinical occupational therapy, co-authored a new op-ed in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy concerning the mental health “tsunami” seemingly engulfing many parts of contemporary American society.

“The tsunami metaphor has two pieces that resonate — first is the idea of a huge wave that’s a combination of a lot of different things that have transpired in society in the past few years that together have negatively impacted people’s mental health,” Jalaba said. “And second, a tsunami is a natural disaster, which speaks to the disastrous state that our current mental health care systems are operating in.”

Jalaba is a clinician at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice working with clients in the mental health, sleep disorders and health coaching programs. She also serves as professional development coordinator for AOTA’s Mental Health Special Interest Section steering committee.

Read “Preparing For and Responding To the Current Mental Health Tsunami: Embracing Mary Reilly’s Call to Action,” in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

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