[The Great East Japan earthquake and mid- and long-term prospect for mental health and welfare in Miyagi Prefecture].

About twenty-thousand persons were deceased or missing in the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. More than half of them belonged to Miyagi Prefecture. The entire coastal areas in Miyagi Prefecture fell victim to the disaster owing to tsunami damage. The damage in mental health system varied in areas both qualitatively and quantitatively ("patchy disparity"), to which uniform support cannot be applied. Such a disparity should be considered in the mid-and long-term prospect for mental health and welfare. The disaster exposed the fragility of the mental health and welfare in Japan as symbolized by 'depopulated' and 'immature' medical care system. The Tohoku University in the disaster area is actively engaged in the assistance for the various aspects of reconstruction.