Aftermath Of Disaster Research Articles

Pre-disaster income inequality and post-disaster mental health: A natural experiment from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

BackgroundWe sought to test the hypothesis that communities with a high degree of income inequality are ill-equipped to deal with crises. Specifically, we tested whether pre-disaster higher income inequality increases the risk of worse mental health conditions in the aftermath of disaster. MethodsWe examined the association between pre-disaster community income inequality and post-disaster mental health outcomes in a prospective cohort study of older adults (≥65 years) who survived the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The baseline survey of participants (completed in 2010) predated the disaster by seven months. Survivors completed three waves of post-disaster surveys in 2013, 2016, and 2019. To assess the level of income inequality, the Gini index was calculated using individual income data in 2010 aggregated to 98 communities (range 0.05–0.50: median = 0.32) and categorized into tertiles (low, middle, high). Depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were assessed in the three post-disaster surveys using validated instruments. Multilevel analysis was conducted adjusting for pre-disaster characteristics. ResultsHigher levels of community income inequality were associated with higher PTSS scores across time (2013: β = 0.14, 95%CI = −0.01, 0.29; 2016: β = 0.16, 95%CI = 0.03, 0.29; 2019: β = 0.12, 95%CI = −0.01, 0.24). The association between income inequality and mental health was partly attenuated by adding the change in social capital to the model (2013: β = 0.14, 95%CI = -0.01, 0.29; 2016: β = 0.15, 95%CI = 0.03, 0.28; 2019: β = 0.11, 95%CI = -0.01, 0.22). ConclusionOur findings suggest that pre-disaster income inequality may explain PTSS symptoms in the aftermath of a disaster, and the relation may be mediated by disaster-related change. Further study to reveal its mechanism is needed for the policy recommendation.

Health symptoms in individuals with and without post-covid in the Dutch general population

Abstract Background Health symptoms, often non-specific in nature such as headache and sleep problems, are more prevalent in the aftermath of disasters. Relatively little research focused on non-specific symptoms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those with post-covid conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the symptomatic profile of people with post-covid conditions, and to assess differences in health symptoms between non-infected individuals, infected individuals, and individuals with post-covid. Methods A nation-wide cross-sectional health survey performed in 2022 was combined with routine primary care electronic health records (EHRs). Prevalence of individual symptoms was analyzed, as well as symptom scores for number, duration, and severity of symptoms. The total survey sample consisted of 315,586 individuals. The EHR sample consisted of 29,797 individuals with matched survey data. Both samples were divided into three groups: non-infected, infected, and post-covid. Results Survey participants with post-covid experienced significantly (CI 99%) more (incidence risk ratio (IRR) 1.55), longer lasting (IRR 1.87), and more severe self-reported symptoms (IRR 1.95) compared to non-infected individuals. For infected compared to non-infected survey participants, there were hardly differences in symptom scores. The most distinct differences in individual symptoms were observed for loss of smell or taste, fatigue, and respiratory problems. Based on EHR data, the post-covid group is at significantly higher risk of experiencing fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, sleep problems, and dizziness. Conclusions Individuals suffering from post-covid are at the highest risk of experiencing health symptoms, both based on self-reported symptoms as well as based on EHRs. The infected group generally experienced more self-reported symptoms than the non-infected, but on average, they experienced them at a shorter duration, and they also reported them to be less severe. Key messages • Health symptom prevalence is higher in individuals with post-covid in the Netherlands. • This effect is confirmed in self-reported health surveys as well as in primary care registries.

The effect of urban resilience on social stability under external disaster strikes--Evidence from China during COVID-19 pandemic

The robustness of civil society plays a pivotal role in shaping the aftermath of disasters. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the question arises: why did some cities witness widespread resident protests, while others remained relatively calm? Certain theoretical studies have suggested that urban economic disruptions stemming from external disasters can significantly undermine social stability, yet these studies lack empirical validation of the underlying mechanisms. This research endeavors to explore the factors within urban resilience that influence social stability during major public events, a topic that has received scant attention in existing empirical studies.Utilizing data from the Chinese General Social Survey (2021), this study introduces an empirical causal analysis framework integrating the "entropy value method" and "fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA)" to investigate the following: (1) The univariate test reveals that the consistency level of all conditions is below 0.9, indicating that no single-dimensional factor alone can enhance social stability. (2) The absence of urban economic resilience emerges as a critical conditional variable contributing to non-high levels of social stability, thereby serving as the primary driver of social instability. (3) Group analysis identifies three distinct pathways through which urban resilience impacts social stability: the "economic-ecological-resource" support path, the "economic-ecological-risk" mitigation path, and the "economic-ecological-challenge" resolution path.

Visualizing Disaster Risk Reduction to Inspire Positive Action

Dealing with disasters is typically illustrated with photos of the aftermath of disasters, notably collapsed infrastructure and destitute, hurt, or grieving people. Those images present the reality of disasters, but not the reality of actions seeking to avoid these scenes. This photo essay is of disaster risk reduction efforts as expressed through images.

Providing Effective Support to All Children in the Aftermath of Disasters: A Persistent Gap in Research, Policy, and Practice

Providing Effective Support to All Children in the Aftermath of Disasters: A Persistent Gap in Research, Policy, and Practice

A Novel MPC Formulation for Dynamic Target Tracking with Increased Area Coverage for Search-and-Rescue Robots

Robots are increasingly deployed for search-and-rescue (SaR), in order to speed up rescuing the victims in the aftermath of disasters. These robots require effective mission planning approaches to determine time and space-efficient trajectories that steer them faster towards (moving) victims, while dealing with uncertainties. Model predictive control (MPC) is an effective optimization-based control approach that has been used to steer robots along reference trajectories determined by higher level controllers. Determining the trajectory of the robots directly via MPC has the advantage of optimizing multiple SaR criteria while handling the constraints. We, thus, introduce a path planning approach based on MPC for indoor SaR robots that allows the robot to systematically chase the moving victims, when no reference trajectory is provided. The proposed approach combines target-oriented and coverage-oriented search, and allows for systematic handling of environmental uncertainties, by deploying a robust tube-based version of the introduced MPC formulation. In addition, we model the movements of the victims for MPC, by adopting an existing evacuation model. We present a case study, using Gazebo, MATLAB, and ROS, where the performance of the proposed MPC controller is evaluated compared to four state-of-the-art methods (two target-oriented methods based on MPC and A* and two heuristic algorithms for area coverage). The results show that, while robust to uncertainties, our approach overall outperforms the other methods, with regards to victim detection, area coverage, and mission time.

Well-being and ill-being: Prominences and differences in the perspectives of volunteers in the immediate and longer-term aftermaths of disaster

This paper presents the results of a PERMA (plus ill-being) analysis of the ways in which young post-disaster volunteers in Aotearoa New Zealand across the 2010-20 decade talked of well-being and ill-being. The 57 interviewees were divided into two cohorts based on whether they volunteered in the immediate or longer-term aftermath of disaster. Across both cohorts, interviewees believed that volunteering after disaster engendered significant well-being benefits, and that these benefits were instrumental in enabling them to counter the potentially negative impacts of disaster. Yet notable differences also existed between the two cohorts. A greater proportion of immediate post-disaster volunteers talked of tiredness/exhaustion (ill-being) but derived well-being from being part of a movement and enabling others. Conversely, those who volunteered in the longer-term aftermath recounted a broader experience of well-being (including a sense of being valued, commitment, satisfaction from having an enjoyable experience, interest, and developing self-belief). These findings contribute to scholarship on volunteers’ well-being by highlighting the differences in well-being experiences across youth volunteers in immediate disaster response and longer-term aftermath of disaster recovery.

Impact of Natural Disasters on Mental Health: Evidence and Implications.

Natural disasters are large-scale catastrophic events, and they are increasing in frequency and severity. Converging evidence indicates that the mental health consequences of disasters are extensive and are often associated with trauma and the disruption of personal and socioeconomic factors in people's lives. Although most individuals experiencing disaster-related traumatic events do not develop mental illnesses, some experience adverse psychological effects of disasters. These mental health effects begin immediately following a disaster and may persist for extended periods. In this article, we summarize the literature findings to provide a narrative review that focuses on the mental health consequences of natural disasters. An overview of the disaster mental health research field is provided, and the findings are ordered into theoretical frameworks. Then, the development and course of psychopathology regarding disaster aftermath are described in a methodological context. Next, understanding a disaster as an event of transition is highlighted, and the impact of this disaster-specific transition is discussed. Lastly, a potential relationship between the transitional impact of a disaster and mental health consequences is speculated on, and the implications are discussed. The impact of disasters on mental health can be direct or indirect, short-term or long-term, and to some extent depends on the recovery process of the affected community. Also, we propose the possible merits of using the Transitional Impact Scale in the context of disaster mental health research by assessing the features of disaster-related transition and its effects on mental health. We conclude by suggesting a direction for future research in terms of measuring the disaster mental health effects in community settings (affected vs. non-affected) and also considering cross-cultural and cross-regional differences. In recent decades, a large amount of knowledge has been gathered from disaster mental health research, but, still, more research is needed to resolve some irregular findings through refining the methodological variations.

Expression of Concern: Mortgage Finance and Climate Change: Securitization Dynamics in the Aftermath of Natural Disasters

Expression of Concern: Mortgage Finance and Climate Change: Securitization Dynamics in the Aftermath of Natural Disasters

The relationship between menstrual cycle pattern and post-traumatic stress in women following the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

In the aftermath of natural disasters, understanding the intricate links between mental health and physiological responses, such as menstrual cycle patterns, becomes crucial. This study explores the relationship between post-traumatic stress and menstrual irregularities among women of reproductive age residing in regions affected by the 2023 earthquake in Turkey. 309 women of reproductive age living in 11 provinces affected by the earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023 and declared as disaster areas constituted the study sample. Data were collected online using Google forms nine months after the earthquake. The collected data were obtained using the Participant Information Form, Impact of Events Scale and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder-Short Form. In the data analysis, descriptive statistics such as count, percentage, median, minimum, and maximum were used, along with statistical tests including the Mann-Whitney U test, chi-squared test, multiple logistic regression analysis, and ROC analysis. In the study, an increase in menstrual irregularities among women was observed following the earthquake (%14.3 to %44.8, p<.001). Risk factors for menstrual irregularities included post-traumatic stress symptoms, comorbid chronic diseases, and smoking. The prevalence of PTSD was found to be 22.7% and this was associated with women with menstrual irregularities. Setting the cut-off score of the IES-R scale at 45.50 resulted in higher sensitivity for detecting irregular menstrual cycles. Women's menstrual cycles are affected after an earthquake. Therefore, post-earthquake mental health recovery programs should specifically address the protection of women's physical and mental health. This comprehensive approach can reduce the effects of earthquake-induced stress and trauma.

Climate Change and Aging: Implications for Psychiatric Care.

We reviewed recent evidence regarding the impact of climate change (specifically, high ambient temperatures, heatwaves, weather-related disasters, and air pollution) on older adults' mental health. We also summarized evidence regarding other medical problems that can occur in aging adults in connection with climate change, resulting in psychiatric manifestations or influencing psychopharmacological management. Older adults can experience anxiety, depressive, and/or posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as sleep disturbances in the aftermath of climate disasters. Cognitive deficits may occur with exposure to air pollutants, heatwaves, or post-disaster. Individuals with major neurocognitive disorders and/or preexisting psychiatric illness have a higher risk of psychiatric hospitalizations after exposure to high temperatures and air pollution. There is a growing body of research regarding psychiatric clinical presentations associated with climate change in older adults. However, there is a paucity of evidence on management strategies. Future research should investigate culturally appropriate, cost-effective psychosocial and pharmacological interventions.

Yoksulluk ve Afetlerin İnsan Güvenliği ve Refahı Üzerindeki Etkileri: Türkiye Örneği

Poverty and disasters are complex issues that directly impact the quality of life and security of people worldwide. Poverty makes communities more vulnerable to disasters, thereby increasing the risks of catastrophes. Factors such as inadequate infrastructure, unplanned urbanization, and resource limitations exacerbate the effects of poverty, potentially escalating the frequency and severity of disasters. Moreover, low educational attainment and insufficient pre-disaster risk management can adversely affect post-disaster crisis management, hindering swift recovery efforts for communities. Impoverished communities often struggle to access essential services such as emergency medical assistance in the aftermath of disasters. This difficulty significantly impairs post-disaster response and recovery efforts, deepening the impact of disasters on impoverished societies and prolonging the return to normalcy. Economic losses, asset depletion, and decreased labor productivity further push already impoverished populations into long-term cycles of poverty. Restrictions in accessing basic necessities also pose significant barriers during post-disaster recovery processes; challenges in transportation, housing, and nutrition can contribute to worsening poverty conditions. In this context, the role of poverty in disaster preparedness is crucial. It is vital for countries like Turkey to strengthen the capacities of all local communities and develop effective disaster strategies. Integrating poverty alleviation strategies with disaster management systems is essential to mitigate disaster risks, minimize post-disaster impacts, and facilitate faster community recovery. This study aims to underscore the importance of poverty in disaster preparedness processes and develop strategic recommendations by focusing on the relationship between poverty and disasters in Turkey. Keywords: Disaster, Disaster Management, Poverty, Security, Turkey

Disaster Capitalism and Social Policy: Social Work in the Aftermath of Natural Disasters

ABSTRACT Unpredictable timing, disruption of community and health services, severe economic impacts, and the deterioration of psychosocial well-being necessitate the evaluation of natural disasters from a social work perspective. Social workers play critical roles in these situations, such as connecting disadvantaged groups with necessary resources, protecting individuals’ well-being, assessing needs, and providing relief and support. The core roles and functions of the social work profession, which emphasize a people-centered, rights-based approach, become particularly significant after a disaster. Neoliberal policies and disaster capitalism exploit the fear and anxiety generated by natural disasters to gain public consent for practices that may not be in their best interests. In this context, fear appeals can be manipulated as a persuasive tool to make disaster-affected citizens accept policies and practices they would typically reject. This study outlines the issues that social workers should address at micro, meso, and macro levels to counteract the influence of neoliberal policies and disaster capitalism, which leverage the fear and anxiety induced by natural disasters to secure public consent for unfavorable practices.

Navigating Sustainability and Inclusivity: Women-Led Community-Based Businesses in Post-Disaster Recovery

Community-based businesses have emerged as a means of addressing socio-economic challenges in the aftermath of disasters. This study investigates the contribution of women-led community-based businesses to recovery and their long-term sustainability. It draws upon case studies in the Tohoku region of Japan and Banda Aceh, Indonesia, areas impacted by major earthquakes and tsunamis over a decade ago. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that the community-based businesses surveyed had evolved from mere “reconstruction goods” by maintaining sustained commitment and developing products. Enhancing organizational credibility through quality improvement efforts was crucial for securing long-term contracts with private companies, a key factor for business continuity. However, prioritizing sustainability often came at the cost of diminished community inclusivity, as differences in skill levels and misaligned values among participants led to departures. This study highlights the challenges in balancing business longevity with maintaining businesses’ role as spaces for social interaction and community rebuilding.

Oral History and the Climate Crisis: Listening in the Aftermath of Disaster

ABSTRACT This article provides an overview of the multiple interrelated facets of the on-campus and university-community climate justice projects developed by individuals at the Oral History Lab/Laboratorio de Historia Oral at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM). Beginning with a discussion of our oral history and documentary filmmaking program for students at UPRM and our workshop series for mutual aid organizations across the archipelago, this article explores the value of eyewitness testimony and experiential knowledge in resituating narrators who have been disempowered by disaster and/or marginalization, in contributing to global conversation about the climate crisis, and in developing ethical approaches to postdisaster research that employ decolonial and anti-racist methodologies and trauma-informed approaches. Ultimately, this article frames the qualitative, community-based data sets present in postdisaster oral histories as essential information for members of our frontline communities and the external stakeholders of policymakers, responders, and researchers who are making decisions that directly impact these communities.

Modeling Spontaneous Volunteers in Cross-Border Crisis Scenarios

Abstract The rise of social media has led to a new degree of spontaneous volunteering in the aftermath of disasters, even in border areas. However, spontaneous volunteering across national borders creates further obstacles that need to be addressed and prepared for. This paper introduces an agent-based simulation to examine coordination procedures of spontaneous volunteers in crisis scenarios, particularly the specifics of travel restrictions imposed after the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, research is conducted on the effects of insufficient or delayed coordination of the population’s offer of voluntary help, which reduces the motivation of volunteers and leads to missed request for help.8. The results show that coordination of spontaneous volunteers is a key factor for helping the affected population, especially in a pandemic, where the possibilities to help are limited. These results are discussed with regard to costs that need to be considered in order to establish coordination, as well as health issues and motivation of spontaneous volunteers in different coordination scenarios.

Coping strategies used by children and adolescents following disaster trauma: A review of associated factors and intervention options

Abstract: Children and adolescents are more vulnerable to disaster-related trauma. The specific aim of this paper was to review the coping strategies used by children and adolescents in the aftermath of disasters. The relationship of coping methods with psychological consequences were also explored, along with the effectiveness of specific strategies in dealing with traumatic experiences of disasters. A literature search of electronic databases, involving the keywords “coping,” “children” and “adolescents,” and “disaster” was done along with secondary searches of the cross references. It was evident that children and adolescents use a range of coping strategies, and a large proportion of them are helpful, while others could be detrimental to their mental health. Many children and adolescents cope with disaster trauma and are resilient. Facilitation of positive coping methods can be used as an intervention along with other supportive activities and as a part of other psychological interventions. Coping can be supported by family, nonprofessional caregivers, community, and clinicians. There is a research need to develop consensus about the terminologies and culture-specific coping assessments and to explore the short- and long-term effectiveness of interventions focused on coping.

Case Study: Lightweight and Emergency Monitoring of a Post-disaster Bridge

In the realm of civil engineering, the health and integrity of infrastructural facilities are of paramount importance. Particularly in the aftermath of disasters, prompt and accurate structural assessments are crucial to ascertain the safety and functionality of structures. To this end, there is a pressing need for the design of such systems that can be rapidly deployed and provide accurate and reliable data in emergency situations. This paper presents a novel lightweight emergency monitoring system (LEMS) specifically tailored for a continuous rigid bridge in Anhui Province that had previously caught a fire, aimed at facilitating prompt post-disaster structural evaluations. We primarily aim to outline the design principles for such lightweight emergency monitoring system intended for post-disaster evaluations and to report the monitoring conditions and results gathered from years of data collection. Through the analysis of collected data, several significant insights have been derived, underscoring the effectiveness of the proposed LEMS in accurately representing the post-disaster structural behavior of the bridge, which provides invaluable insights for further inspections and evaluations. It contributes tangibly to the field of civil engineering and infrastructure maintenance by introducing a novel approach in the design and implementation of emergency monitoring systems specifically for post-disaster scenarios.

Gender and sexual minorities and disaster: balancing structural and agentic perspectives

There is a notable shift in gender and disaster research towards addressing gender and sexual minorities, with a growing body of literature arguing for the need to go ‘beyond the binary’. While critiquing the traditional gender dichotomy remains essential, discarding fundamental concepts such as the binary way in which gender is constructed at the societal level, may undermine efforts to address those marginalised by it. The violence and sexual assaults women are often subjected to in the immediate aftermath of disaster, highlights the critical need to expose the entrenched power dynamics that perpetuate inequality and oppression based on gender. The emerging tension between structural and more individualised, agentic perspectives underscores the need for a comprehensive approach that emphasises the structural as well as the personal dimensions of gender and sexuality in the context of disasters. By recognising and addressing these complexities, gender and disaster research can contribute to an inclusive and equitable disaster management and response framework. This paper provides an overview of gender and disaster research conducted over 10 years and presents findings about the experiences of women, men and people with diverse gender and sexual identities in disaster contexts.

The Gaziantep Model: Integrated Mother-Child Health Services for Healthy Communities After Disasters

This article discusses the Gaziantep Model, which focuses on integrated mother-child health services in the aftermath of disasters, with a particular focus on the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey. The model emphasizes the importance of maternal and child health in building healthy communities post-disaster and offers a comprehensive approach to address physical and mental health. The Gaziantep model uses a hybrid structure of mobile and fixed healthcare services to provide care at both individual and societal levels. It also recognizes the importance of healthcare staff's well-being. The article highlights the significant impact of the earthquakes, including damage to healthcare facilities and the strain on healthcare personnel, especially in regions with a high population of Syrian refugees. Gaziantep, with its existing maternal and infant mortality challenges, serves as a suitable province for implementing this model. The article emphasizes the long-term consequences of disasters on maternal and child health, including increased risks during pregnancy, mental health issues, and developmental challenges for children. The Gaziantep model aims to foster collaboration among various agencies and organizations, develop targeted interventions, and collect data to improve maternal and child health, reduce burnout among medical personnel, and enhance the overall well-being of communities. It involves the partnership of Gaziantep University, the ZERU Association, Gaziantep Provincial Health Directorate, and Gaziantep Municipality. Overall, the Gaziantep Model offers a comprehensive approach to address the unique healthcare needs of mothers, children, and families in the aftermath of disasters, with a focus on collaboration and long-term community health.