The 2004 tsunami and mental health in Thailand: a longitudinal analysis of one-and two-year post-disaster data

Disasters and the Disablement Process framework: an analysis of the great east Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011

This study used the Disablement Process framework to examine how exposure to the great east Japan earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 was related to elders' experiences of disability-that is, 'a gap between personal capability and environmental demand' (Verbrugge and Jette, 1994, p. 1). Data were derived from two waves (2009 and 2013) of the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging, involving a representative sample of citizens aged 65 or more. Logistic regression was employed to model how the disaster was associated with the prevalence and incidence of disability. A significant relationship was documented between the two. Those impacted by the event exhibited greater odds of reporting a disability in 2013 and developing one between 2009 and 2013. Disasters destroy social infrastructure and disrupt daily life, widening the lacuna between the environment and personal resources. Given the increasing number of disasters, more policy attention should be directed to reducing their adverse consequences for health.

A Mixed-Methods Study After Multiple Disasters: September 11, 2001, World Trade Center Terrorist Attacks and Hurricane Sandy

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to use a mixed-method analysis to investigate the associations between qualitative themes found in written responses and quantitative reported level of stress after Hurricane Sandy.

METHODS

A survey was conducted among World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees 5-12 mo after Hurricane Sandy. This study included 1202 participants who completed the free-response section and answered the question on how stressful their experiences were with Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. Content analysis was used to generate qualitative data. Mixed-methods analysis was performed using a 1-way analysis of variance test for bivariate comparisons of qualitative thematic codes and the quantitative outcome of mean Sandy stress scores.

RESULTS

Seven themes emerged from the qualitative analysis. The themes of lack of information, negative emotional response, and financial stress had higher quantitative mean Sandy stress scores compared with other themes. The theme of patriotism/gratitude had an overall lower quantitative Sandy stress scores than other themes.

CONCLUSIONS

Qualitative and mixed-methods research on mental health outcomes after a disaster add new depth and findings to the existing literature. Using such methodologies to identify modifiable factors, such as improving communication during a disaster, may confer better mental health outcomes after a disaster.

Mental Health Symptoms Unexpectedly Increased in Students Aged 11-19 Years During the 3.5 Years After the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire: Findings From 9,376 Survey Responses

In Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, the wildfire of May 2016 forced the population of 88,000 to rapidly evacuate in a traumatic and chaotic manner. Ten percentage of the homes in the city were destroyed, and many more structures were damaged. Since youth are particularly vulnerable to negative effects of natural disasters, we examined possible long-term psychological impacts. To assess this, we partnered with Fort McMurray Public and Catholic Schools, who surveyed Grade 7-12 students (aged 11-19) in November 2017, 2018, and 2019-i.e., at 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 years after the wildfire. The survey included validated measurement scales for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, quality of life, self-esteem, and resilience. Data analysis was done on large-scale anonymous surveys including 3,070 samples in 2017; 3,265 samples in 2018; and 3,041 samples in 2019. The results were unexpected and showed that all mental health symptoms increased from 2017 to 2019, with the exception of tobacco use. Consistent with this pattern, self-esteem and quality of life scores decreased. Resilience scores did not change significantly. Thus, mental health measures worsened, in contrast to our initial hypothesis that they would improve over time. Of note, we observed higher levels of mental health distress among older students, in females compared to male students, and in individuals with a minority gender identity, including transgender and gender-non-conforming individuals. These findings demonstrate that deleterious mental health effects can persist in youth for years following a wildfire disaster. This highlights the need for multi-year mental health support programs for youth in post-disaster situations. The indication that multi-year, post-disaster support is warranted is relatively novel, although not unknown. There is a need to systematically investigate factors associated with youth recovery following a wildfire disaster, as well as efficacy of psychosocial strategies during later phases of disaster recovery relative to early post-disaster interventions.

Risk Perception and Depression in Public Health Crises: Evidence from the COVID-19 Crisis in China

Background: Scant attention has been paid to how risk perceptions of public health crises may affect people’s mental health. Aims: The aims of this study are to (1) construct a conceptual framework for risk perception and depression of people in public health crises, (2) examine how the mental health of people in the crisis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is affected by risk perception and its associated factors, including distance perception of the crisis and support of prevention and control policies, and (3) propose policy recommendations on how to deal with psychological problems in the current COVID-19 crisis. Methods: Online questionnaire survey was implemented. A total of 6373 people visited the questionnaire online, 1115 people completed the questionnaire, and the number of valid questionnaires was 1081. Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis. Results: Risk perception and its associated factors significantly affect the mental health of people in public health crises. Specifically, (1) distance perception of public health crises is negatively associated with depression among people, (2) affective risk perception is positively associated with depression of people in public health crises, (3) cognitive risk perception is negatively associated with depression of people in public health crises, and (4) support of prevention and control policies is negatively associated with depression of people in public health crises. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that risk perception plays an important role in affecting the mental health of people in a public health crisis. Therefore, health policies aiming to improve the psychological wellbeing of the people in a public health crisis should take risk perception into consideration.

Cross sectional analysis of depression amongst Australian rural business owners following cyclone-related flooding

Background

Flooding is an increasingly prevalent natural hazard worldwide and can have a profound impact on the mental health of those directly and indirectly affected. Little is known about the impact on business owners, who may be particularly vulnerable to the mental health complications of flooding given the additional economic stressors.

Methods

A large cross-sectional survey was conducted six months after severe flooding in the rural Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in 2017. The survey assessed demographics, probable depression (using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2), flood exposure, flood-related financial factors, prior flood exposure and support from various organisations. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of probable depression in 653 of the 745 participants who identified as business owners.

Results

The prevalence of probable depression in our sample was 17.0%. A quarter (25.1%) of business owners whose business was flooded suffered from probable depression, compared to 12.4% of non-flooded business owners. The multivariable model for probable depression demonstrated elevated adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for business owners who had to evacuate their business (AOR = 2.11, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.25-3.57) compared to those who did not evacuate. Insurance disputes/rejections were a strong predictor for probable depression (AOR = 3.76, CI 1.86-7.60). Those whose income was reduced due to the flood and had not returned to normal six months post-flood demonstrated an increased AOR for probable depression (AOR 2.53, CI 1.26-5.07) compared to those whose income had returned to normal. The univariable analysis found elevated crude odds ratios (OR) for the cumulative effect of multiple flood exposures and unmet support needs by the state government (OR = 2.74, CI 1.12-6.68). The majority of business owners felt their needs were not met by most organisations providing flood-related support.

Conclusion

The impact of flood exposure and flood-related financial factors on probable depression was highly significant for the business owner population. Furthermore, business owners felt under-supported by flood-related services. These findings highlight the vulnerability of exposed business owners and the need for increased support. Disaster planning programs in conjunction with system level changes such as infrastructure and education are vital for disaster preparedness.

Medicaid Utilization Before and After a Natural Disaster in the 2016 Baton Rouge-Area Flood

Objectives. To understand changes in behavioral health services utilization and expenditures before and after natural disaster with an adult Medicaid population affected by the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-area flood (August 2016).Methods. We examined de-identified behavioral health claims data for Medicaid-insured adults in the affected region for 10 months before and after flooding (October 2015-June 2017). This constituted 273 233 provider claims for 22 196 individuals. Claims data included patient gender, behavioral health diagnoses, treatment dates, and costs. We made adjustments for Medicaid expansion by using monthly enrollment data.Results. Overall, most male patient behavioral health care visits were for substance use disorders (33.6%) and most female patient behavioral health care visits were for depression-related disorders (30%). Both diagnostic categories increased after the flood by 66% and 44%, respectively. Expansion accounted for a 4% increase in claims. Postflood claims reflected 8% to 10% higher costs.Conclusions. Greater amounts of behavioral health care services were sought in all 10 months of the postflood study period. We observed gender differences in use of services and diagnoses. Behavioral health care services following natural disasters must be extended longer than traditionally expected, with consideration for specific population needs.

Associations Between Quality of Life, Psychosocial Well-being and Health-Related Behaviors Among Adolescents in Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Thai and the Filipino Populations: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Health-related behaviors during adolescence have lifelong impacts. However, there are unclear areas regarding the associations between health-related quality of life and demographic characteristics, as well as physical and psychosocial indicators. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between quality of life and body weight, sleep outcome, social support by age, and cohabitants, given that income, self-esteem, lifestyle, emotional, social and behavioral problems were taken into account among adolescents in East and Southeast Asia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Zhengzhou of China, Hong Kong, Kansai region of Japan, Taipei of Taiwan, Bangkok of Thailand and Manila of the Philippines between 2016 and 2017 among 21,359 urban adolescents aged between 9 and 16. The results showed that adolescents who had better self-esteem and control of emotions and behaviors had much higher level of perceived quality of life. Those who were overweight or obese, sleepy in the daytime, and not living with parents had worse quality of life compared with those who were not. In conclusion, psychosocial well-being should have a higher priority in the promotion of quality of life among Asian adolescents. Nevertheless, further studies are required to explore the differences in perceived quality of life between genders and countries.