Abstract
Given the paucity of quantitative empirical research on survivors’ resilience and its predictors in the context of long-term recovery after disasters, we examined how resilience predictors differed by gender among adult survivors five years after the Sichuan earthquake. This was a cross-sectional survey study of adult survivors (N = 495; aged 18–60) living in reconstructed communities five years into the recovery process after the Wenchuan earthquake. The instruments we used included assessments of sociodemographic characteristics and earthquake exposure level, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Social Support Rating Scale. Support-seeking behaviors emerged as a significant predictor of male survivors’ resilience, while subjective support and marital status were found to be predictors of female survivors’ resilience. Annual household income and chronic disease were predictors for both male and female groups. The findings of this study can be used in devising methods to boost survivors’ resilience by promoting their satisfaction with social support and their ability to obtain effective support. Additionally, the results suggest how to assist survivors who may have relatively poor resilience.
Highlights
Natural disasters occur frequently all over the world and affect large populations
The CD-RISC has been used to assess earthquake survivors [32] and has been validated among Chinese community residents and adolescents [20,32]. It was translated into Chinese by Yu and Zhang [20], who failed to confirm the original five-factor structure derived from a U.S sample, which consisted of the factors personal competence, high standards, and tenacity; trust in one’s instincts, tolerance of negative affect, and the strengthening effects of stress; positive acceptance of change and secure relationships; control; and spiritual influences
The factor structure and psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the CD-RISC were confirmed in a second study involving 2,914 Chinese adolescents living in Sichuan, China [32]
Summary
Natural disasters occur frequently all over the world and affect large populations. They can have extended impacts and recovering from them is a long-term process. Resilience has been shown to contribute to disaster victims’ recovery [1], and has been generally positively related to people’s mental health [2,3] and quality of life [4]. Resilience has attracted considerable attention in both academic and popular discourse. Resilience has been defined differently in reference to different groups (e.g., adolescent, adult, elderly people) and different contexts (e.g., trauma, academic performance) [5,6,7,8]. A generally accepted definition is the process of effectively adapting to and coping with adversity or stress by the use PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0121033 March 26, 2015
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