Disaster Survivors Research Articles

Mental Health on Survivor of Natural Disaster: Literature Review

Disasters result in damage to public facilities and infrastructure, deaths, and significant changes in people's daily activities and physical and mental health. This research aims to determine the impact of natural disasters on mental health among survivors to assist researchers in providing an understandable and comprehensive summary of the currently available data. Literature review in journals with quantitative and qualitative research criteria, written in English and published in 2018-2023. Journal search databases are Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed, using the keywords Mental Health, Disaster, Children, Adolescent, Adult, and Elderly. The total number of journals related to the impact of natural disasters on mental health identified based on database searches was 104 journals. A total of 19 journals were used as study material, consisting of 1 journal discussing the condition of the elderly, 2 journals discussing the condition of children, 3 journals discussing the condition of teenagers, 4 journals discussing the condition of children and teenagers simultaneously, 4 journals discussing the condition of children and parents, as well as 5 journals discussing the conditions of adults. natural disaster survivors (children, adolescents, adults and the elderly) have the potential to experience symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. Psychological interventions are expected to target vulnerable groups and groups according to demographic characteristics.

Devastating Wildfires and Mental Health: Major Depressive Disorder Prevalence and Associated Factors among Residents in Alberta and Nova Scotia, Canada.

Background: Since March 2023, hundreds of fires have burned from coast to coast throughout the country, placing Canada on track to have the worst wildfire season ever recorded. From East to West, provinces such as Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and British Columbia have been particularly affected by large and uncontrollable wildfires. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression symptoms and predictors among residents living in extreme climate conditions during the Canadian wildfires of 2023 in Alberta and Nova Scotia and to update the literature with data related to those wildfires. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted in this study. REDCap was used to administer an online survey between 14 May and 23 June 2023. Through the Text4Hope program, participants subscribe to receive supportive SMS messages daily. As part of the initial welcome message, participants were invited to complete an online questionnaire, containing demographic information, wildfire-related information, and responses to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression assessment. SPSS version 25 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate regression analyses were employed. Results: A total of 298 respondents completed the survey out of 1802 who self-subscribed to the Text4Hope program in Alberta and Nova Scotia and received a link to the online survey, producing a response rate of 16.54%. Most of the respondents were females (85.2%, 253), below 40 years of age (28.3%, 84), employed (63.6%, 189), and in a relationship (56.4%, 167). A historical depression diagnosis (OR = 3.15; 95% CI: 1.39-7.14) was a significant predictor of moderate to severe MDD in our study. The unemployed individuals were two times more likely to report moderate to severe symptoms of MDD than employed individuals (OR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.06-5.67). Among the total sample population, the moderate to severe MDD prevalence was 50.4%, whereas it was 56.1% among those living in areas affected by wildfires. Conclusion: Based on our study findings, unemployment and a history of depression diagnosis were independently significant risk factors associated with the developing moderate to severe MDD symptoms during wildfire disasters. Further research is required to identify robust predictors of mental health disorders in disaster survivors and provide appropriate interventions to the most vulnerable communities and individuals.

Implementation of positive psychology to surmount demoralization caused by a cataclysm in select works of Svetlana Alexievich.

Cataclysm refers to a large-scale and violent event involving disaster, catastrophe, calamity, and tragedy. The recent surge of a pandemic (coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)), humanitarian crisis in Sudan, civil unrest, and war, such as the attacks in Syria and Ukraine, reiterate the need to address the trauma attached to such catastrophes. This study focuses on adapting positive psychology, one of the newest branches of psychology to emerge, to help human beings prosper and lead healthy, happy lives. It also explores post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and means to overcome traumatizing psychological dejection caused by such mishaps. Demoralization is the immediate effect caused on victims and survivors of such devastations. A comprehensive study of cataclysm and demoralization is concomitant with the suffering produced by various factors pertaining to mass annihilation. A deductive methodology is incorporated into the qualitative data to analyze the oral testimonies of war and disaster survivors in Svetlana Alexievich's works titled Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War, Second Hand Time, The Unwomanly Face of War and Chernobyl Prayer. Interpretation of the polyphonic voices in the oral sagas of interviewees in Alexievich's works reveals an increased level of anxiety, stress, and trauma post-catastrophic events. The implementation of positive psychology has been identified as an appropriate psychological intervention to address the issues related to psychological devastation.

Exploring the impacts of perceived locus of control on post-traumatic stress disorder among disaster survivors: A systematic review.

AIM: The present systematic review explored the impacts of perceived locus of control on PTSD among individuals experiencing disasters. This is a systematic review study carried out through a search of the relevant research published in English over the period December 2021 to April 2022. Accordingly, we sought the studies to review on the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane and Google Scholar databases using the keywords "Child, Children, Adolescent, Adolescence, Adult, Aged, Elderly, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, Internal-External Control, Locus of Control, Disasters, Natural Disasters." A total of 1.011 studies were found in the five databases using the keywords above. Following the exclusions, the remaining six studies were recruited for this systematic review. The six studies in question addressed earthquakes (2), hurricanes (1), wildfires (1), SARS (1) and fireworks explosions (1). In the study with wildfire survivors, there was a weak significant association between external locus of control and PTSD among those directly exposed to the disaster (r = .15, p < .01). The study with survivors of the SARS epidemic demonstrated that those with a high perceived chance (external) locus of control suffered PTSD (p = .001). An internal locus of control is considered important in preventing PTSD, although an external locus of control appears to be a variable that causes/increases the prevalence of PTSD. It was concluded that perceived locus of control is related to PTSD in individuals experiencing a disaster. The additional evidence was that post-disaster PTSD among those with a high perceived external locus of control is stronger than those with a high perceived internal locus of control.

Resiliensi Masyarakat Di Relokasi Hunian Tetap Siosar Pasca Erupsi Gunung Sinabung Kabupaten Karo

Indonesia is one of the countries that has a fairly high level of natural disaster vulnerability. Mount Sinabung is a strato-type volcano. Administratively, Mount Sinabung is in the Karo Regency, North Sumatra. The eruption of Mount Sinabung has had a very significant physical, psychological and social impact on society. In facing a disaster, survivors need to survive and continue living. The ability to adapt to conditions after experiencing a traumatic event is called resilience. People who lost their homes due to the eruption of Mount Sinabung must be willing to be relocated to new, safer places such as permanent Shelter. Researchers want to see how disaster survivors in the Siosar Permanent Residence respond to being able to recover or recover from their previous situation. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. Data collection techniques were carried out using interviews/FGD, observation and documentation studies. The research results show that there are still teenagers who are not yet fully resilient. Researchers found teenagers who have not been able to recover from the problems they faced after the eruption of Mount Sinabung. Therefore, support from various parties or the pentahelix (government, academics, business world, society and mass media) is needed to build sustainable resilience in Siosar Permanent Shelter.

Sleep quality and mental health differences following Syria-Turkey earthquakes: A cross-sectional study.

This study explores the lasting mental health impact of the Syria-Turkey earthquakes in 2023 on a population affected by conflict and trauma. It analyzes pre- and post-event mental health and sleep quality differences, identifying predictors of outcomes. Studying the 2023 Syria-Turkey earthquakes' enduring mental health impact on conflict-affected individuals, this research informs better support and interventions for disaster survivors. This longitudinal, cross-sectional study examined the enduring mental health impact of the Syria-Turkey earthquakes. The present study involved N = 1,413 Syrian survivors, aged 18 years or older, who actively participated by contributing both pre- and post-earthquake data. A meticulously designed digital questionnaire with established metrics assessed sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, and anxiety levels. Stratification variables (age, gender, education, marital status) were used for subgroup analysis. Arabic versions of PHQ-9, PSQI, and GAD-2 proved reliable for measuring depression, sleep quality, and anxiety. The majority of participants were female (73.6%) with tertiary education (83.3%). Post-earthquake, a higher percentage reported poor sleep quality (67.7% vs. 59.7%, p < .001) and increased prevalence of MDE (66.1% vs. 56%, p < .001). GAD did not differ significantly. Post-earthquake, women had a higher likelihood of poor sleep quality (OR: 1.58, 95% CI [1.19, 2.10], p < .001) and MDE (OR: 1.55, 95% CI [1.18 to 2.04], p = .003). Predictors varied before and after earthquakes; age and education were significant predictors of poor sleep quality, MDE, and GAD. This study reveals higher rates of poor sleep quality and major depressive episodes among earthquake-affected individuals, especially women. Age, education, and gender contribute to these outcomes. Targeted interventions and comprehensive mental health support are crucial for post-earthquake recovery.

What will others think of me? The longitudinal association between trauma-related shame and guilt and psychopathology after a terror attack.

Trauma-related shame and guilt have been identified as important factors for mental health following interpersonal trauma. For survivors of terror and disasters, however, the role of shame and guilt remains largely unknown. To explore the long-term occurrence of trauma-related shame and guilt among survivors of a terror attack, and the potential importance of these emotions for mental health. A total of 347 survivors (48.7% female, mean age at the time of the attack: 19.25 years, s.d. = 4.40) of the 2011 massacre on Utøya island, Norway, participated in face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Trauma-related shame and guilt were measured with items from the Shame and Guilt After Trauma Scale at 2.5 and 8.5 years post-terror attack. Post-traumatic reactions and anxiety/depression at 8.5 years post-terror attack were measured with the University of California at Los Angeles PTSD Reaction Index and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, respectively. Associations between trauma-related shame/guilt and post-trauma psychopathology were analysed by multiple linear regressions. Trauma-related shame and guilt were prevalent among survivors at both 2.5 and 8.5 years post-terror attack. In unadjusted analyses, shame and guilt, at both time points, were significantly associated with post-traumatic stress reactions and anxiety/depression. Shame remained significantly associated with mental health when adjusted for guilt. Both earlier and current shame were uniquely related to mental health. Trauma-related shame and guilt may be prevalent in survivors of mass trauma several years after the event. Shame, in particular, may play an important role for long-term mental health. Clinicians may find it helpful to explicitly address shame in treatment of mass trauma survivors.

EMPOWERING RESILIENCE USING BEHAVIORAL ACTIVATION TECHNIQUES

The recurrent landslides in the Banjarnegara region has far-reaching consequences, leading to widespread unemployment as agricultural lands become unusable. To enhance the resilience of survivors, an intervention in the psychosocial context was employed, utilizing the behavioral activation technique. Fourteen women, representing family units, spanning ages from 20 to 65, participated in the program. These individuals bore the dual burden of losing their homes and enduring trauma. Analysis of resilience scale data was conducted using the Wilcoxon-signed rank test technique, revealing compelling results with Z=-2.805 and p=0.005 (p&lt;0.01), show a significant increase in the resilience of landslide survivors through the behavioral activation technique. Recommendations for subsequent cycles include: (1) widespread application of the behavioral activation technique to empower other disaster survivors, (2) the implementation of collaborative interventions to address geographic vulnerabilities, and (3) the development of targeted interventions for male survivors to facilitate their return to work in their respective villages.

Assessing the spiritual and mental health of the KwaZulu-Natal flood disaster survivors.

No abstract available.

Scoping Review of PTSD Treatments for Natural Disaster Survivors.

This scoping review explores the current research on PTSD interventions for Natural Disaster survivors. It includes fourteen randomized control trials (RCTs). The included interventions were, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, herbal supplements, CBT, yoga, narrative exposure therapy, acupuncture stimulation, web-based interventions, and a multimodal art and meditation program. CBT is considered the standard of care for general PTSD treatment and was also found to be effective for the treatment of natural disaster-related PTSD symptoms. However, higher-level clinical evidence is needed. There are inconsistencies with the use of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and herbal supplements, while there is insufficient clinical evidence to effectively determine the efficacy of yoga, acupuncture, art, and narrative exposure therapies. Factors like the availability of resources, cultural sensitivity, and values and preferences impact the effectiveness of interventions used to treat PTSD in natural disaster survivors. Clinical studies in this field need to be further expanded regardless of the study type.

A failure or success?: A qualitative analysis of post-disaster relocation among survivors of 2010 floods in Pakistan

In Pakistan, the enormous 2010 floods inflicted unprecedented destruction to 0.5 million houses in South Punjab. This study was conducted in Muzaffargarh, a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan, one of the worst affected areas during the 2010 floods. As an adaptation and disaster risk reduction measure, an International NGO in collaboration with the Government of the Punjab province constructed 1274 houses for flood-affected communities. The houses were allocated through a lottery method. Initially, the allottees moved to the new settlements for the sake of possession. However, over time, it was observed that many flood-affected individuals sold out or rented their houses and returned to their villages/settlements. This qualitative study was conducted to identify the factors affecting the flood survivors’ decision to return to their original villages/settlements after a certain time. The specific objective of the study was to identify the factors that pushed and pulled the flood survivors into their original settlements. The current study interviewed 20 respondents through the snowball sampling technique by using an interview guide. The findings highlighted the loss of social capital, place attachment, unavailability of grazing places, non-transfer of house, and increase in the cost of living were the major factors that pushed the flood survivors to return to their native villages. The current study highlighted social and psychological costs (such as nostalgia, homesickness, loss of social networks, etc.) for the relocation of disaster survivors. This study contains important policy implications regarding relocation decisions taken by the government and policymakers. Findings indicate relocation decisions as the failure to address the local needs, priorities, and contexts.

Laughter and SEFT therapy for disaster survivors in Cianjur District

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 struck Cianjur Regency, West Java, affecting 12 sub-districts. This earthquake caused significant damage, impacting a total of 114,683 people, resulting in 338 fatalities, 5 missing individuals, hundreds of injuries, and extensive property damage. It also led to mental health issues among survivors, stemming from the loss of family members and property. The objective of this community service activity is to provide psychological intervention to earthquake survivors in Cariu village, Mangunkerta village, Cianjur, through laughter therapy and Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique (SEFT). The activity is structured into three stages, 1) preparation, 2) delivering laughter and SEFT therapy, and 3) evaluation encompasses post-tests and interviews to assess the impact of the intervention.The results of this psychological intervention initiative demonstrated a significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety (neurosis) and a decrease in the number of survivors experiencing post-traumatic stress (PTSD). However, there is a continued need to monitor survivors who may still be dealing with anxiety disorders, despite their participation in laughter therapy and SEFT.

“Am I going to have to run to get out of this place?” A qualitative study exploring HIV clinical and service provider experiences from California regions heavily impacted by climate disaster

Maintaining continuity of HIV care and prevention resources is critical to the health, wellbeing, and at times survival of individuals who rely on those services. In California, disaster events and extreme conditions caused by climate change are becoming more frequent and intense, impacting many regions in what have become cycles of destruction and disruption. The HIV workforce, already under strain, must now contend with delivering services to clients during and in the wake of repeated climate-related events. From October 2021 to April 2022, using purposive and snowball sampling, we interviewed 18 HIV, sexual health, and harm reduction clinical and service providers in California counties heavily impacted by climate-related events. Participants were asked about their experiences providing services amid climate disasters, including reflections on client needs and strategies for maintaining continuity of care. Data were analyzed following the tenets of thematic analysis. We found that HIV, STI, and harm reduction service providers and their agencies play an integral role within their communities, both in maintaining continuity of essential services to clients during catastrophic events, as well as in disaster response as trusted community resources. We further found that individuals in these roles drive the innovations and adaptive strategies that allow their agencies to endure the shock and disruption of disaster events. Finally, we highlight the extent to which clinical and service providers experience harms due to cyclical climate disasters. We discuss existing research on health system resilience in the face of climate change, and identify a critical research gap: consideration of workforce needs is often limited to professional skills and capacity specific to caring for climate disaster survivors, rather than as support needed by workforce personnel who are survivors of disasters themselves. We propose recommendations for next steps and encourage further research on HIV workforce resilience in a new climate era.

Psychosocial Support for Earthquake Disaster Survivors in Cianjur District (Bbgp West Java, 4 December 2022 Post Earthquake, Implementation of Psychosocial Support in Mekarsari Regency at Cianjur Regency)

BBGP West Java provides a post-disaster recovery program with psychosocial support in Mekarsari Regency. The descriptive qualitative technique uses in the research method to present a thorough picture of the planning, implementation, and assessment process after adopting Psychosocial Support in Mekarsari Regency Cianjur. Data collection methods include observation, interviews, and documentation studies. to learn about the design, implementation, and assessment stages of Psychosocial Support in Mekarsari Regency Cianjur. Researchers used triangulation techniques to assess the data's veracity before drawing findings and validating the data. Organizing Phase BBGP West Java was contacted by the chair of the Nurul Aathirah Education Foundation to offer psychosocial support in the Mekarsari Regency. Children are sorted into age-appropriate groups and placed inside the tent on Sunday, December 4th, 2022, at 8:00. Adult participants, the majority of whom are female where situated outside the tent. Play therapy, fairy tale treatment, movement and singing, psychosocial support, quirky science learning, and fun learning are all examples of psychosocial support techniques. The Psychosocial Support Process worked successfully, as seen by the residents' enthusiastic response and positive response during the evaluation stage, which participants expressed with delight and excitement. Good. The process of providing psychosocial support needs to be ongoing and sustainable so that the government can continue to do so, using a variety of approaches and with the assistance of volunteers and other government organizations.

Optimalisasi Kesejahteraan Psikologis Relawan Bencana Melalui Pelatihan Mindfulness

Due to their dual roles as disaster survivors and disaster volunteers who aid communities devastated by disasters, disaster volunteers are susceptible to experiencing a decline in the quality of their psychological well-being. The ultimate objective of mindfulness is to make it easier to stay engaged in the present without overestimating it. This program intends to provide mindfulness training in an effort to improve the volunteers' psychological well-being throughout disasters. Focused Group Discussions, education, and training are all used as community empowerment techniques in this work. The 20 BPBD disaster volunteers from the West Sulawesi Province are the target. Activities to enhance the psychological well-being of disaster volunteers can increase knowledge by 53% while also improving the psychological well-being of volunteers by giving education and mindfulness training. For both disaster volunteers and society, mindfulness training could be an important supplement to the disaster training curriculum.

Post-disaster mobilities of Muslim typhoon survivors: How gendered religious preferences and discrimination shape socio-spatial exclusions in Catholic-majority Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

Natural hazards don’t care who you worship. However, the evacuation camps, transitional housing sites and relocation sites aimed at helping disaster survivors do. Empirically, this paper explains a puzzle in which Muslim survivors of Typhoon Sendong in the Philippines were all but absent in official post-disaster spaces of this Catholic-majority country. Based on qualitative interviews, focus groups and site visits, I identify two exclusionary mechanisms: (1) prejudices, preferences and practicalities, and (2) socio-spatial design of official post-disaster spaces. This paper argues that by studying Muslim survivors’ post-disaster mobilities, we see that discrimination along the lines of religion, as it plays out in everyday gendered religious socio-spatial practices, repels survivors from accessing evacuation camps and other post-disaster spaces. This is important for two related reasons. One, these humanitarian spaces claim to be inclusive yet, in practice, deter would-be migrants on the basis of religion. Two, religiously-informed gender relations shape the politics of disaster recovery processes, which further exacerbate inequities post-disaster.

Solidarity of Body and Space: Trauma Pastoral Counseling for Disaster Survivors

Solidarity of Body and Space: Trauma Pastoral Counseling for Disaster Survivors

Association between sense of coherence and health and well-being among older survivors of a natural disaster: a prospective outcome-wide study

We examined whether pre-disaster Sense of Coherence (SOC) mitigated the impact of housing damage on health and well-being of older survivors after the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. A panel survey was conducted in a city located 80 km west of the epicenter seven months before and three years after the disaster (3594 respondents). Among respondents with lighter property damage, higher SOC was inversely associated with mental distress (coefficient − 0.29, 95% CI (confidence interval) − 0.39, − 0.19, p < .01), unhappiness (coefficient − 0.33, 95% CI − 0.43, − 0.23, p < .01), low expectation of mutual help (coefficient − 0.17, 95% CI − 0.27, − 0.07, p < .01), and weak community attachment (coefficient − 0.20, 95% CI − 0.30, − 0.11, p < .01). Conversely, among those who experienced housing loss, higher SOC was no longer protectively associated with health and well-being. Loss of generalized resistance resources due to serious damage led to difficulties in stress coping.

Forest therapy as a trauma-informed approach to disaster recovery: Insights from a wildfire-affected community

A trauma-informed approach to disaster recovery recognizes the potential impacts of trauma, promotes resilience to protect against retraumatization, and can support catering the needs of disaster survivors in affected communities. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that interaction with nature is associated with a number of physical and mental health benefits, though literature surrounding nature-based therapy and disaster survivors is limited. Through key informant interviews with forest therapy guides from a program in wildfire affected Butte County, CA, this exploratory study investigates if and how “Forest Therapy ’’ can serve as a trauma-informed approach to promote wellbeing in the face of climate change and associated disasters. We find that community-based forest therapy programs offer a promising, flexible approach to community-based trauma-informed mental health servicest in disaster-affected communities. Findings also identify opportunities to tailor implementation of future programs to better reach populations most impacted by disasters, including through targeted outreach and diverse guide recruitment. Future research should investigate the impacts of forest therapy on the mental health and wellbeing of participants, as well as the scalability of forest therapy programs in disaster-affected communities.

Interaction of Val66Met BDNF and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms with prevalence of post-earthquake 27-F PTSD in Chilean population.

Post-traumatic stress (PTSD) disorder is a mental health condition that can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. The 27-F earthquake that struck Chile in 2010 was one such event that had a significant impact on the mental health of the population. A study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of PTSD and its associated factors among survivors of this earthquake. The study was a longitudinal design, involving a sample of 913 patients aged 18 to 75 years who attended 10 Primary Care Centers in Concepción, Chile. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess both depressive episodes (DE) and PTSD before and after the earthquake. The study also involved genotyping studies using saliva samples from the participants, specifically focusing on the Val66Met and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms. Statistical analysis was performed to examine the association between different variables and the presence of PTSD. These variables included demographic factors, family history of psychiatric disorders, DE, childhood maltreatment experiences, and critical traumatic events related to the earthquake. The results showed that the incidence of post-earthquake PTSD was 11.06%. No significant differences were found between the groups of participants who developed post-earthquake PTSD regarding the Val66Met or 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms. However, a significant association was found between the concomitant diagnosis of DE and the development of post-earthquake PTSD. The presence of DE doubled the risk of developing post-earthquake PTSD. The number of traumatic events experienced also had a statistically significant association with an increased risk of developing post-earthquake PTSD. The study's limitations include the potential interference of different DE subtypes, the complexity of quantifying the degree of earthquake exposure experienced by each individual, and events entailing social disruption, such as looting, that can profoundly influence distress. In conclusion, the study found that PTSD following the 27-F earthquake in Chile was associated with a concomitant diagnosis of DE and the number of traumatic events experienced. The study did not find a significant association between PTSD and the Val66Met or 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms. The researchers recommend that mental health professionals should prioritize the detection and treatment of concomitant depressive episodes and exposure to critical traumatic events in survivors of disasters. They also suggest that further research is needed to better understand the relationship between genetic factors and post-disaster PTSD.