Abstract
Unfortunately, disasters are quite common occurrences in the United States and elsewhere. Because of the frequency of these events, it is important to understand their long-term consequences, as well as which aspects of these events, and the people and communities exposed to them, predict better and worse adjustment over time. Such information is potentially helpful in targeting individuals and groups for mental health interventions and in developing strategies for outreach to affected populations. In the present chapter, we review the literature with regard to the overall impact of disaster (i.e., does disaster have negative mental health effects?) along with the types of symptoms that have been shown empirically to be associated with these events. We also summarize what is presently known about the longitudinal course of responses to disaster events. Next, we discuss risk factors for the development of psychological symptoms, including stressor characteristics, individual characteristics, and social-environmental characteristics. Factors contributing to positive outcomes are also addressed in this section. Finally, implications for prevention and intervention drawn from these studies are noted.
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Green, B.L., Solomon, S.D. (1995). The Mental Health Impact of Natural and Technological Disasters. In: Freedy, J.R., Hobfoll, S.E. (eds) Traumatic Stress. Springer Series on Stress and Coping. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1076-9_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1076-9_7
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