Gender, place and mental health recovery in disasters: Addressing issues of equality and difference

Flooding and the ‘new normal’: what is the role of gender in experiences of post‐disaster ontological security?

“…Although the results of Akerkar and Fordham (2017) indicate similarities in the mental health recovery of men and women, such qualitative aspects of recovery as subjective interpretations of traumatic experiences vary significantly. Observations reveal that women report being highly traumatised by flood events more often than men (74.7 versus 55.6 per cent) and more readily connect these perceptions with a decreased sense of safety (Akerkar and Fordham, 2017, p. 222). Akerkar and Fordham (2017) do not address ontological security explicitly in their examination of flood victims, but they account for other relevant variables, such as notable changes in personal relations, displacement, loss and instability, and interactions with the community and its members.…”

“…Generally, research findings on the impact of gender on post‐disaster psychological experiences are mixed. While some studies (Ladd, Gill, and Marszalek, 2007; Carroll et al, 2009) consider individuals' demographics less consequential to the severity of potential adverse consequences, others, notably Akerkar and Fordham (2017, p. 227), contend that gender specifically is key to determining ‘equal but different experiences for disaster‐affected men and women’. Although the results of Akerkar and Fordham (2017) indicate similarities in the mental health recovery of men and women, such qualitative aspects of recovery as subjective interpretations of traumatic experiences vary significantly.…”

“…While some studies (Ladd, Gill, and Marszalek, 2007; Carroll et al, 2009) consider individuals' demographics less consequential to the severity of potential adverse consequences, others, notably Akerkar and Fordham (2017, p. 227), contend that gender specifically is key to determining ‘equal but different experiences for disaster‐affected men and women’. Although the results of Akerkar and Fordham (2017) indicate similarities in the mental health recovery of men and women, such qualitative aspects of recovery as subjective interpretations of traumatic experiences vary significantly. Observations reveal that women report being highly traumatised by flood events more often than men (74.7 versus 55.6 per cent) and more readily connect these perceptions with a decreased sense of safety (Akerkar and Fordham, 2017, p. 222).…”

“…Observations reveal that women report being highly traumatised by flood events more often than men (74.7 versus 55.6 per cent) and more readily connect these perceptions with a decreased sense of safety (Akerkar and Fordham, 2017, p. 222). Akerkar and Fordham (2017) do not address ontological security explicitly in their examination of flood victims, but they account for other relevant variables, such as notable changes in personal relations, displacement, loss and instability, and interactions with the community and its members. They note that women are more likely to benefit from positive interactions and bolstered emotional support within the wider community, whereas men seem to thrive when they can exercise agency in directly affecting their immediate material conditions.…”

“…Yet, they struggle to depict the social‐psychological aspect of this disturbance, as well as its causes. Often they identify transformations in their immediate surroundings, such as damaged or missing buildings, as well as modifications of usual routines and social relationships (Dash et al, 2007; Silver and Grek‐Martin, 2015; Akerkar and Fordham, 2017).…”