Impact of natural disasters on mental health and welfare: the case of the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the impact of the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake on the mental health and welfare of victims in Bantul and to examine whether disasters they experienced before might increase or decrease their mental health when facing indirect exposure to repeated disasters. This study employs several methods: descriptive analysis; logit; a combination of propensity score matching; and difference in differences. The results find that 7 people (1.78%) in 2007 and 31 people (7.89%) in 2014 have experienced symptoms of depression. Age is confirmed as a significant factor in increasing this probability. The results of this study reveal that direct exposure to the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake increased the average mental disorder score and decreased the victims’ education expenditure 1 year after the disaster. The direct exposure to the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake also affected the increase in mental disorder score and decrease in household expenditure of victims 1 year after the disaster, although the effects were insignificant.