The dynamic course of psychological outcomes following the Victorian Black Saturday bushfires

Abstract

Objectives: To profile the long-term mental health outcomes of those affected by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and to document the course of mental health since the disaster. Method: The longitudinal Beyond Bushfires study included 1017 respondents (Wave 1; 3–4 years after the fires), 736 (76.1%) at Wave 2 (5 years after the fires) and 525 (51.6%) at Wave 3 (10 years after the fires). The survey indexed fire-related and subsequent stressful events, probable posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, alcohol use, severe distress and receipt of health services for mental health problems. Results: Relative to their status 3–4 years after the fires, there were reduced rates of fire-related posttraumatic stress disorder (6.2% vs 12.2%), general posttraumatic stress disorder (14.9% vs 18.7%) and severe distress (4.4% vs 7.5%) at 10 years. There were comparable rates between Wave 1 and Wave 3 for depression (10.9% vs 8.3%) and alcohol abuse (21.8% vs 18.5%). Of people in high-affected regions, 22.1% had posttraumatic stress disorder, depression or severe distress at Wave 3. One-third to one-half of participants who reported probable posttraumatic stress disorder or depression at any assessment did not display the disorder at the next assessment. Worsening of mental health at Wave 3 was associated with the extent of property loss, exposure to recent traumatic events or recent stressful life events. Only 24.6% of those with a probable disorder had sought professional help for this in the previous 6 months. Conclusion: Approximately one-fifth of people from high-affected areas have a probable psychological disorder a decade after the fires. Mental health appears to fluctuate for those who are not consistently resilient, apparently as a result of ongoing stressors. The observation that most people with probable disorder are not receiving care highlights the need for further planning about managing long-term mental health needs of disaster-affected communities.

Psychological Symptoms Among Evacuees From the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfires: A Population-Based Survey One Year Later

“…Our results are also in line with prevalence rates of PTSD (16–22%) and depression (13%) documented 3–4 years after the 2009 bushfires in Australia ( 9 ). Taken together, our findings indicate much higher rates of psychopathology among evacuees from forest fires than among the general Canadian population.…”

“…Compared to a control group, persons exposed to wildfires in Greece were observed to have significantly higher somatization, depression and anxiety symptoms, and higher levels of paranoia, hostility, and phobic anxiety ( 7 , 8 ). Three to 4 years after the Victorian Black Saturday bushfires in Australia (2009), 16–22% of individuals in communities affected by the fires were still found to meet the criteria for PTSD and 13% suffered from major depression ( 9 ), indicating that mental health effects are still measurable several years after the event. These studies report precious epidemiological data, but are less informative of the predictors of the development of mental disorders.…”

The Impact of Wildfires on Mental Health: A Scoping Review

“…Figure 1 is a flowchart summarizing our search process and outcomes. This review found 60 articles that met the inclusion criteria [ 13 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , …”

“…This review suggests there are statistically and clinically significant increases in rates of PTSD in communities ravaged by wildfires. Among adults, higher rates of PTSD and associated symptoms were present shortly after a wildfire and up to 10 years post-wildfire [ 22 , 36 ]. In the adult population, the rate of probable PTSD based on a survey screening 3 months post-wildfire was found to be 24% and 60% in two separate studies [ 36 , 57 ].…”

“…The repercussions from wildfires can be widespread due to the ability of wildfire-created smoke to dissipate and persist, with the majority of follow-up studies being conducted within 1 to 2 years post-wildfire. However, there is evidence of ongoing mental health effects in more longitudinal studies made 10–20 years post-wildfire [ 22 , 23 ]. There are novel terms to describe emotional and mental health responses to natural disasters such as solastalgia, eco-anxiety, and ecological grief, which will likely become more prominent as such tragedies continue to occur [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”