Psychological impact of the hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua in a one-year perspective

Abstract

PTSD represents a serious mental health problem after a disaster. Those with illiteracy, females and those with previous mental health problems should be targets for early post-disaster intervention.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Manhattan, New York City, After the September 11th Terrorist Attacks

“…Consistent with this analysis, previous mental health disorders have been documented as predictors of future psychopathology. 28,29 We also observed a relation between low social support and PTSD. Social ties, including social networks and social supports, have been shown to play a positive role in mental health.…”

Alcohol use in New York after the terrorist attacks: A study of the effects of psychological trauma on drinking behavior

“…Although level of event exposures and disaster-related losses are commonly associated with the psychological impact of traumatic events (Bland, O'Leary, Farinaro, Jossa, & Trevisan, 1996;Caldera, Palma, Penayo, & Kullgren, 2001;Mecocci et al, 2000), there are other factors also involved. For example, research suggests that increased vulnerability often occurs among those with a history of mental health disorders, child abuse, or a history of previous traumas (Breslau, Chilcoat, Kessler, & Davis, 1999;Shalev, 1996;Yehuda, 1999).…”

Social Support Mobilization and Deterioration after Mexico's 1999 Flood: Effects of Context, Gender, and Time

“…Disasters in developing countries are often quite severe in their impact, and survivors seldom have access to the high levels of financial and psychological assistance that disaster victims in the United States receive. Thus it is perhaps not surprising that previous research suggests that natural disasters are especially likely to engender posttraumatic stress and psychological distress when they occur in the developing world, which includes but is not limited to Latin America (e.g., Caldera, Palma, Penayo, & Kullgren, 2001;de la Fuente, 1990;Durkin, 1993;Goenjian et al, 2001;Lima et al, 1990;Lima, Pai, Santacruz, & Lozano, 1991;Norris, Murphy, Baker, & Perilla, 2004;Norris, Perilla, Ibañez, & Murphy, 2001). In fact, disaster location (United States, other developed country, developing country) was a stronger predictor of sample-level impact than either disaster type (mass violence, natural, technological) or sample type (child, adult, rescue/recovery) in Norris et al's (2002) review.…”