Research Proposal on "Psychologic Effect on People in a Natural Disaster"

Research Proposal 11 pages (3632 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Psychologic Effect on People in a Natural Disaster

The world has never been a benign or sterile environment, but history has shown time and again that humans are resilient creatures that are capable of enduring a great deal. In some cases, though, the overwhelming nature of an event can be so devastating that people experience a wide range of adverse psychological effects that can have life-threatening implications if left unattended. Although the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 clearly illustrated the enormous impact that manmade disasters can have on people, natural disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes and so forth also can have these same adverse effects as well. In order to identify what these adverse psychologic effects are and what can be done about them, this paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning the psychologic effect on people in a natural disaster, followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

There is certainly no lack of natural disasters in the world today. According to Richman and Fraser (2001), "Any attention paid to the variety of news media confirms that disasters are common occurrences throughout the world. The stories of the destructive power of natural disasters, such as floods and fire, fascinate us. We want to understand what happened, to learn how victims are responding, and to be assured that something is being done to help" (133). Indeed, it is difficult to watch the news coverage of such a natural disaster affect others without experiencing some level of "there but for the Grace of God" reaction, and this empathetic reaction on the part of many people suggests that people not only want to be reassured that something is being done to help those affected, but that the resources that can help them exist in the first place.

According to Richman and Fraser, it is important to understand why some people react in adverse ways to natural disasters while others come through the experience with little or not adverse outcomes. These authors report that, "Historically, labeling an event as a 'disaster' means that it has several characteristics in addition to the destruction of property, loss of life, and widespread injury. The event also has an identifiable beginning and end; adversely affects a relatively large group of people; is 'public' and shared by members of more than one family; is out of the realm of ordinary experience; and, psychologically, is traumatic enough to induce stress in almost anyone" (Richman and Fraser 134). Beyond these characteristics, the authors suggest that three additional characteristics to this list to define disasters as: (a) events that are relatively sudden, (b) highly disruptive, [and] - time-limited (even though the effects may be longer lasting)" (Richman and Fraser 134).

It is also important to take into account the origin of the disaster; in this regard, Raphael (1986) identified two broad classifications that are appropriate for the purposes of this study: (a) "natural" (i.e., earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, floods, and hurricanes) and (b) "man-made" (i.e., sniper shootings, terrorist attacks, airplane crashes, toxic releases, etc.), but Breton, Valla and Lambert (1993) emphasize that both natural and man-made disasters can be psychologically or physically detrimental to human lives. Likewise, as Saleh (1996) reports, "Increasingly, worldwide mental health counselors are being called upon to provide services in the aftermath of disasters and traumatic crises, whether natural or man-made. Naturally occurring disasters include earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, floods, fires and tsunamis" (519) as Stout (2002) points out, though, some studies have indicated that the long-term psychologic morbidity that is typically associated with man-made disasters appears to be greater than because of the intentional nature of the human violence involved compared with that associated with random nature of natural disasters, but emphasizes that in some cases, the conditions of people who experienced natural disasters also become chronic and severe. This point is also made by Myers and Wee (2005) who report that in contrast to man-made disasters, "An obvious characteristic of natural disasters is the unambiguous physical impact, resulting in property damage, injury, and death of victims. They often have a clearly identifiable 'low point' at which, from the victim's point-of-view, the 'worst is over' and restoration and recovery can proceed" (8).

Besides the sources of the disaster, even the age of those who experience natural disasters can have an significant influence on their reaction. In this regard, Stout advises, "Each year millions of children are exposed to critical events, such as natural disasters, but not all of these children will become traumatized" (49). In fact, some children appear to possess some resilient qualities that their adult counterparts may lack in their reaction to natural disasters. For instance, citing the American Psychiatric Association's definition for trauma, Stout notes that, "For adults, an event will be considered traumatic if it 'overwhelms' the individual's 'perceived' ability to cope with it. The two key words here are overwhelm and perceived. A traumatic event is thought to overwhelm an individual's normally effective coping skills. This condition does not always apply to children" (50).

This different reaction on the part of young people compared to adults is based in large part on how the event is perceived by children using their adult reactions as a gauge. For example, Stout also notes that, "Children, especially young children, interpret events in part by using their caregivers' reactions to such events as a model for determining whether the world is safe or unsafe. If the child's family offers a message of hope and personal action that can be taken by the child or the family, the event is more likely to be managed and the child does not become overwhelmed" (51).

Nevertheless, as Brown (1990) points out, traumatic events may require a significant length of time to be processed fully, and some children who experience natural disasters may manifest psychological problems later in life as a result. According to Brown, "Unresolved grief, various physical assaults, operations and injuries, experiences of war and natural disasters, and so forth -- can give rise to problems and neuroses in adult life" (25). In their study of children's reactions to natural disasters Richman and Fraser report that children appear to be more resilient to psychological problems following a natural disaster to the extent:

They have family support systems able to respond to their needs;

Their daily routine is quickly restored (including a return to school); and,

They are given the opportunity to discuss and work through their fears and disaster experiences in a structured environment (Richman and Fraser 142).

While the need for additional research in this area is emphasized by Richman and Fraser, other authorities likewise stress the need for additional research concerning how natural disasters affect both young and old in psychical ways that can contribute to psychological problems. For example, there is growing evidence that the adverse reactions to natural disasters experienced by some people can have some profound effects on the immune system throughout the life course in ways that can contribute to other physical maladies that can then contribute to higher levels of stress in a vicious circle of escalation (Baum, Revenson and Singer, 2001). For instance, according to Baum and his colleagues, "There is now substantial evidence for the role of psychological stress in susceptibility to upper respiratory infectious disease. [However], it remains unclear whether associations between psychological factors and infectious disease are attributable to stress-induced changes in immunity" (691).

Furthermore, the studies of individual and community responses to natural disasters to date indicate that a prior history of traumatic life events (i.e., physical/sexual assault, expose to homicide, witnessing a death, injury, threat to life, destruction of home or community) are associated with higher incidences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as other anxiety-related disorders (Saleh 520). As Saleh points out, though, "PTSD can exist without previous events, but it does appear one can be predisposed to the disorder. It is also possible that an entire community can experience PTSD after disaster or crisis" (520). Therefore, it is also important to recognize that a natural disaster can have adverse psychological effects on victims, of course, but on other affected individuals in the community as well as on the relief workers themselves. In this regard, Saleh emphasizes that, "The counseling response to disasters needs to be inclusive of crisis intervention and mid- and long-term effects. Mental health services need to be rendered to victims, those closest to the victims, those involved in rescue and relief efforts, and members of the community who may suffer post-traumatic stress as results of the disasters or crises" (519).

Likewise, Baum and his colleagues (2001) report that the lingering emotional distress that can result from exposure to a natural disaster is viewed as a precipitating factor for developing PTSD. According to Vasterling and Brewin (2005), "PTSD is unique among psychiatric disorders in that the symptoms of the disorder are tied directly to an etiological event, the trauma stressor" (5). Although the primary symptoms of… READ MORE

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