UGAY, NICOLE G.

IMPACT OF DISASTERS ON MENTAL HEALTH

I. LITERATURE REVIEW
Natural disasters are large-scale, often unforeseen phenomena that impact millions of
people all over the world. Natural catastrophes pose a serious hazard to people’s health and
jeopardize every area of their life. Physical health problems are frequently addressed during the
acute phase of a catastrophe response. The psychological impact of disasters, on the other
hand, has become a key focus of disaster health management in the last two decades.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, cyclones, and floods are examples of
traumatic disasters that can result in PTSD. Natural catastrophes can be catastrophic, wreaking
havoc on millions of people and putting a strain on mental health. Increased levels of stress in
the aftermath of a disaster could lead to depression and other mental diseases, particularly
among individuals who have lost close ones and their livelihood. Traditional community
structures are crumbling, family support networks are disappearing, long-distance immigration is
on the rise, and economic insecurity is causing an increase in mental disorders. According to
research, persons who lose family members experience significantly more severe psychological
suffering than those who do not. Women have been identified as the victims who have suffered
the most. People who have been exposed to such experiences are considerably more prone to
acquire psychiatric problems such substance misuse, serious depression, and psychosomatic
illnesses, which can manifest as a separate disorder or as part of post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). Rescue workers and medical personnel are both susceptible to mental, psychological,
and psychosomatic diseases.
The short-term mental health repercussions of disasters have been extensively
investigated, but only a few have looked at the long-term consequences. Anxiety, PTSD,
sadness, somatic problems (heartburn, stomach, constipation, vomiting, colitis, migraines,
headaches, back/neck aches), and nightmares are all short-term impacts of disasters
(Madakasira, O’Brien, 1987; Escobar, Canino, & Rubio-Stipec 1992). The limited research on
long-term impacts reveal that persons who have previously been exposed to a disaster would
have more mental discomfort when exposed for the second time, compared to people who have
never been exposed to a disaster (Bland et al. 1996). When compared to people who have
already been through a flood, first-time flood victims showed higher levels of distress (Norris,
Murrell, 1988). Symptoms usually fade away as time passes after a calamity. According to
research, mental problems can be directly linked to a disaster for up to one year after the
disaster, but after three and a half years, the mental disorders are no longer linked to the event.
Shore, Tatum, and Vollmer (Shore, Tatum, & Vollmer, 1986). The degree of destruction
generated by a disaster is directly related to the impacts of the disaster on an individual (i.e., the
larger the destruction, the higher the distress), but that suffering fades over time (U.S
Department of Veterans Affairs, 2014).
Following disasters, symptoms of other disorders are discovered, and such indicators
are included in PTSD. There are various plausible explanations for the overlapping symptoms
that are frequently observed. Clinical symptoms frequently overlap in diagnoses, thus one
diagnosis may lead to another, and previous diagnoses may increase the risk of PTSD
(McMillen, North, Mosley and Smith, 2002). Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) are two conditions that can arise as a result of a disaster. Greening, Stoppelbein, and
Docter (2002) conducted an interesting study in which they looked at the causes of the
Northridge earthquake’s negative consequences. The survivors who completed the survey were
classified as having depression attributions, according to the researchers. The findings of the
study linked depression to internal and external factors (Abramson Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978)
for developing depressive symptoms, not PTSD symptoms. Unpreparedness for natural
disasters is another factor affecting the mental health of those affected, but it has been
compounded by the extremely inaccessible geographical location of affected areas, poor
planning, and insufficient machinery and equipment, all of which cause delays in rescue and
relief operations, exacerbating the psychological effects of a disaster.
In summary based on those studies conducted by different researchers that there is
really an impact of disaster to the mental health of the person affected and we should not only
take actions physically but also mentally cure a person. It’s hard to cope up and thrive if we are
deeply broken inside. May this increase awareness and provide the government an action in
developing strategies in facing disasters.
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