A groundbreaking study done by experts from the University of California, Irvine, found that repeated exposure to storms, whether direct, indirect, or media-based, is connected to negative psychological symptoms and may be linked to an increase in mental health issues.
Exposure to Repeated Hurricanes Can Affect One's Mental Health
(Photo : Shashank Sahay/Unsplash)
Findings are crucial for comprehending the psychological effects of frequent natural disasters, especially in light of the growing threat of climate change, as per ScienceDaily
They were published online today in JAMA Network Open.
Results showed that individuals' reactions to successive hurricanes change over time, becoming more negative rather than becoming accustomed to repeated exposure to disasters.
The researchers' findings suggested that a potential mental health crisis is associated with those who directly experienced the storm or knew someone who did, as well as those who spent several hours engaged with media about the hurricane, according to Dana Rose Garfin, UCI assistant adjunct professor of nursing and public health.
Garfin along with, Roxane Cohen Silver, a distinguished professor of psychological science, medicine, and health, completed the first-ever longitudinal study.
The study's principal investigators were Rebecca Thompson, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar in psychological science at UCI, Alison Holman, professor of nursing, assistant professor of earth system science at Stanford University, and Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, Ph.D., a center fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment.
To identify any potential changes in mental health over time, the team evaluated the people of Florida in the hours before Hurricane Irma made landfall and again after Hurricanes Michael and Irma.
Both Hurricanes Irma and Michael, Category 5 storms, made landfall in September 2017 and October 2018, respectively.
The researchers discovered a connection between persistent fear and worry, sadness, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms when people were repeatedly exposed to the possibility of destructive hurricanes.
These psychiatric symptoms were then linked to greater social and occupational impairment, which included problems communicating with others, completing tasks at work, and other daily activities.
According to the researchers, anxiety can be an adaptive reaction to disasters and may encourage people to take preventative measures in advance of the next incident.
They advised that future studies examine how to use this reaction in ways that do not worsen mental health conditions.
They also think that given the substantial correlation between media consumption and distress, social media and traditional media outlets can be crucial in conveying the dangers of recurrent threat exposure leading to increasing distress.
Also Read: Study: Future Hurricanes May Impact Greater Portions of the Earth
Other Health Impacts of a Hurricane
Hurricane Irma has already resulted in 30 fatalities, with six people dead in Florida and 24 in the Caribbean.
Although it hasn't been confirmed yet, the evacuation operation will likely result in injuries and fatalities, as per UN Dispatch
When hospital patients are evacuated, the quality of their medical care is drastically reduced, if not nonexistent. That will have effects that could be devastating to those who are already weak medically.
When the hurricane passes, things dramatically deteriorate. The immediate aftermath was less so.
Even in nations with robust emergency response systems, it takes people between 24 and 48 hours to receive assistance.
However, hurricane injuries typically fall into one of two categories: those that are instantly fatal (those who are killed by flying debris or who are lost in the storm) or those that can wait 48 hours before becoming seriously degenerative.
The greatest detrimental effects on health are found in infrastructural degradation.
It will take weeks or possibly months for homes to regain power after the storm has passed and the winds have gone down.
Most places won't be rebuilt for at least a year.
Many locations will require much more time; it took Florida 20 years to properly recover from Hurricane Andrew. Health issues resulting from infrastructural loss.
The wind from a storm may blow anything about, including battery acid and boat fuel.
The floodwaters leave behind poisoned ground when they recede.
Although it is doubtful that environmental contamination will result in deaths, those places that have weathered storms may experience an increase in allergies and chronic illnesses as a result of contamination.
The lack of access to healthcare will have the most effect on one's health, though.
Without the infrastructure to sustain the healthcare system, all of the health issues that were present before the hurricane struck will remain.
Cancer patients and heart attack victims cannot be treated in hospitals that lack water and have broken walls.
Important pharmaceutical supply lines are cut off, and frequently simply a 24-hour delay can have negative or catastrophic effects.
Related Article: Hurricanes Are Getting Stronger and Intense Due to Climate Change
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