This study attempts to estimate the costs and outcomes of enhanced mental health response to natural disasters, using Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as a case study.  The study found that a full implementation cost $12.5 billion and yield a 94.8 to 96.1 percent 30-month recovery rate.  However, the study also found that such an effort would exceed provider capacity.  The authors conclude that evidence-based mental health response requires targeted resources, advanced planning, and increased provider capacity. 

Schoenbaum, M., et al. (2009). Promoting mental health recovery after hurricanes Katrina and Rita: what can be done at what cost. Archives of General Psychiatry, 66(8): 906-14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19652130

Authors: Michael Schoenbaum, Brittany Butler, Sheryl Kataoka, Grayson Norquist, Benjamin Springgate, Greer Sullivan, Naihua Duan, Ronald C. Kessler, Kenneth Wells