Disaster Communication, Posttraumatic Stress, and Posttraumatic Growth following Hurricane Matthew

An Independent UAV-Based Mobile Base Station

In disaster scenarios, e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfires, communication infrastructure often becomes severely damaged. To rapidly restore damaged communication systems, we propose a UAV-based mobile base station equipped with Public Safety LTE (PS-LTE) technology to provide standalone communication capabilities. The proposed system includes PS-LTE functionalities, mission-critical push-to-talk, proximity-based services, and isolated E-UTRAN operation to ensure the reliable and secure communication for emergency services. We provide a simulation result to achieve the radio coverage of mobile base station. By using this radio coverage, we find an appropriate location of the end device for performing the outdoor experiments. We develop a prototype of a proposed mobile base station and test its operation in an outdoor environment. The experimental results provide a sufficient data rate to make an independent mobile base station to restore communication infrastructure in areas that experienced environmental disasters. This prototype and experimental results offer a significant step forward in creating agile and efficient communication solutions for emergency scenarios.

The effects of social media usage on vicarious traumatization and the mediation role of recommendation systems usage and peer communication in China after the aircraft flight accident

Background: Previous research has indicated that continuous exposure to disaster-related information through social media can lead to vicarious trauma. However, scholars have recognized the need for further in-depth research into the underlying mechanisms influencing this relationship.Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact mechanism of social media usage on vicarious traumatization in users and analyze the roles of recommendation systems and peer communication.Methods: This study was conducted with college students in China, focusing on the context of the MU5735 aircraft flight accident in China in which 123 passengers and 9 crew members died. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. The partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method was used to test the data and model.Results: This study obtained valid responses from 1317 participants. The study findings revealed a significant positive correlation between social media usage(β = 0.180，P < .001), recommendation systems usage (β = 0.172, P < .001), peer communication (β = 0.303, P < .001), and the development of vicarious traumatization. Recommendation systems usage (specific indirect effect  = 0.063, P < .001) and peer communication (specific indirect effect  = 0.138, P < .001) mediated the relationship between social media use and vicarious trauma. Additionally, the impact of peer communication on vicarious trauma was found to be higher compared to the effects of continuous social media use and recommendation system use.Conclusion: The study found that the use of social media to obtain information about accidents, the frequent pushing of accident information by recommender systems, and the frequent discussion of accidents among peers during unexpected accidents contribute to vicarious traumatization. The study suggests that users' reduced retrieval of accident information via social media, as well as reduced peer-to-peer discussions about accidents, and social media platforms' adjustment of recommender system algorithm rules to reduce accident information pushes, may help reduce the likelihood of users experiencing vicarious traumatization.

Evaluating an online self-distancing intervention to promote emotional regulation and posttraumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVES

Three online studies were conducted to elucidate the role of emotional regulation (ER) in posttraumatic growth (PTG), evaluate the ability of an online self-distancing intervention to achieve ER, and test whether increasing the use of ER strategies promotes PTG.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional (Study 1) and longitudinal randomized controlled trials (RCT) (Studies 2 and 3).

METHOD

In Study 1, 626 adults completed measures of ER, PTG, and psychosocial functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study 2, 149 adults participated in a five-week RCT comparing self-immersed, spatially self-distanced, and temporally self-distanced reflection in their ability to regulate negative affect. In Study 3, 117 adults replicated the RCT of Study 2 and completed the measures from Study 1 a week pre- and post-intervention.

RESULTS

Path analyses confirmed that ER strategies were relevant to COVID-19-related PTG. MANOVAs revealed that self-distancing was effective in regulating state negative affect. However, ANOVAs suggest that this was not due to increased use of ER strategies and did not improve PTG or psychosocial functioning.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support further research into the relevance of ER to PTG, and provide a foundation to understand PTG and develop PTG-promoting interventions within a broader stress-coping framework.

Leader crisis communication and salesperson resilience in face of the COVID-19: The roles of positive stress mindset, core beliefs challenge, and family strain

The resilience of B2B sales forces is crucial in face of severe wide-ranging challenges during a crisis. This study aims to investigate the role of leader communication of the crisis in promoting salesperson resilience during the COVID-19. The data were gathered from 418 salespersons from 36 manufacturing firms in times of the COVID-19. The data were analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling. The results demonstrated the positive relationship between leader crisis communication and salesperson resilience, mediated by salespersons' positive stress mindset. Family strain and core beliefs challenge were found to attenuate the positive linkage between leader crisis communication and salespersons' positive stress mindset. Theoretical and practical implications are presented. This study offers insights to help managers in B2B organizations better understand and implement mechanisms that can foster resilience among their B2B sales forces in the COVID-19 outbreak and other crises.

Suicide ideation and a post-disaster assessment of risk and protective factors among Hurricane Harvey survivors

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have documented evidence of increased suicidality after natural disasters. While there is some disagreement about when and how long mental health consequences are sustained in the post-disaster setting, it is nevertheless an important outcome requiring further examination.

METHOD

In the present study, a sample of Hurricane Harvey survivors (n=316) were interviewed over a three-month period beginning in October 2017, two months after a Category 4 hurricane devastated the Texas Gulf Coast. Using logistic regression, the analysis examines sociodemographic vulnerabilities, as well as individual risks that potentially exacerbate and protections that mitigate the odds of suicide ideation among survivors.

RESULTS

Approximately 10 percent of the sampled survivors reported suicide ideation post-Hurricane Harvey. Females, persons with elevated symptoms of post-traumatic stress symptoms, persons reporting moderate to high levels of food insecurity, and those with previous mental health issues were related to higher odds in reported suicide ideation. We examined a number of protective factors and religious social capital and optimism were both negative and statistically significant (p < 0.05) and related to lower odds of suicide ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, these findings are the first to come out of the Hurricane Harvey disaster zone, specifically focusing on suicide ideation. Mental health professionals need to continue to be sensitive to the nuance of disaster impact on the psychological functioning of survivors, with potential negative mental health symptoms persisting 6 to 12 months after a natural disaster event.

Psychological First Aid: A Model for Disaster Psychosocial Support for the Perinatal Population

The psychosocial needs of childbearing families drastically change after a disaster. Perinatal nurses providing postdisaster maternal-newborn care at community shelters, field hospitals, or acute care facilities must be prepared as "first responders" to address the immediate psychological distress and social needs of women and families in the first few chaotic days or weeks. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate ways nurses can integrate psychosocial and interpersonal interventions in perinatal disaster care using the framework of Psychological First Aid (PFA) developed by a team of mental health experts, along with The National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the United States (US) National Center for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The PFA framework offers evidence-informed stepwise approaches nurses can employ within their scope of practice aimed at reducing disaster survivors' initial distress and to promote short- and long-term adaptive functioning. Purposive interactions are suggested to provide emotional support, empathy, and guidance to reduce stress, restore coping skills, and help families use their strengths to begin the recovery process. Nurse leaders engaged in hospital disaster planning need to ensure that essential resources and community networks are available to provide mental health and psychosocial support for childbearing women and families in a postdisaster environment.

Gender differences in the interaction effect of community resources and attitudes toward seeking professional help on posttraumatic stress, depression, and posttraumatic growth

The current study examined the gender differences in the interaction effect of community resources and attitudes toward seeking professional help in predicting posttraumatic stress, depression, and posttraumatic growth for female and male survivors of Hurricane Harvey. Participants were 413 adults who reported directly experiencing Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall on August 26, 2017. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants approximately 16 months after the hurricane via an online survey. Among men, significant interaction effects of community resources and attitudes toward seeking help on posttraumatic stress, depression, and posttraumatic growth were found even after statistically controlling for age, educational attainment, income, marital status, and racial minority status. Among women, no interaction effects were found. Women with open attitudes toward seeking psychological treatment experienced higher posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth, and higher resources were positively associated with growth. The current study raises important implications on gender differences on community resources and attitudes toward seeking professional help after a hurricane.