| In the aftermath of the floods in March 2017 that devastated Queensland and New South Wales, Australia’s University of Rural Health sought to explore the social costs of the disaster. Coordinated by Dr. Victoria Matthews, a survey titled After the Flood sought information from residents about such topics as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and the continued sense of distress.
The results of the survey indicated the extensive stresses on residents, with 22 per cent reporting continued distress, six months after the flooding was over. Certain groups were noted as being of higher risk of suffering from mental health issues. “We found that lower socio-economic people were more likely to have their homes inundated, were more likely to be evacuated and be displaced for lengthy periods of time, and more likely to display symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome,” Matthews told ABC News. “The other high-risk group were people who had multiple sites of flooding. They may have had their home flooded, their business flooded, and a home of a close friend or relative flooded.” Recovery time was also strongly linked with more positive mental health outcomes, with those who suffered shorter disruptions stating feelings of greater connectedness with the community, which is an observation that could have significant effects on efforts to build community resilience in the event of future disasters.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-29/natural-disaster-impact-on-mental-health-costly/9597104 |
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About the Author: Kathy Gannon Rainey
