Mental health and social networks after disaster
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Although disasters are a major cause of mental health problems and typically affect large numbers of people and communities, little is known about how social structures affect mental health after a disaster. The authors assessed the extent to which mental health outcomes after disaster are associated with social network structures. METHOD: In a community-based cohort study of survivors of a major bushfire disaster, participants (N=558) were assessed for probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and probable depression. Social networks were assessed by asking participants to nominate people with whom they felt personally close. These nominations were used to construct a social network map that showed each participant's ties to other participants they nominated and also to other participants who nominated them. This map was then analyzed for prevailing patterns of mental health outcomes. RESULTS: Depression risk was higher for participants who reported fewer social connections, were connected to other depressed people, or were connected to people who had left their community. PTSD risk was higher if fewer people reported being connected with the participant, if those who felt close to the participant had higher levels of property loss, or if the participant was linked to others who were themselves not interconnected. Interestingly, being connected to other people who in turn were reciprocally close to each other was associated with a lower risk of PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide the first evidence of disorder-specific patterns in relation to one's social connections after disaster. Depression appears to co-occur in linked individuals, whereas PTSD risk is increased with social fragmentation. These patterns underscore the need to adopt a sociocentric perspective of postdisaster mental health in order to better understand the potential for societal interventions in the wake of disaster.
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Displacement often involves loss of home, personal belongings, and a sense of security, which can lead to feelings of grief, helplessness, and anxiety; it may also disrupt social networks and access to social support.
“Displacement often involves loss of home, personal belongings, and a sense of security, which can lead to feelings of grief, helplessness, and anxiety. Additionally, displacement may disrupt social networks and access to social support, which are critical for coping with stress and trauma [34].”
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“Additionally, displacement may disrupt social networks and access to social support, which are critical for coping with stress and trauma [34].”
- Authors
- Bryant, R. A., Gallagher, H. C., Gibbs, L., Pattison, P., MacDougall, C., Harms, L., Block, K., Baker, E., Sinnott, V., Ireton, G., Richardson, J., Forbes, D., & Lusher, D.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- ORCID
- Venue
- American Journal of Psychiatry
- Published
- 2017-03-01
- Volume
- 174
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 277-285
- ISSN
- 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
- 1535-7228
- OpenAlex
- W2554345942
- Cited by
- 122
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 7.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Australian Rotary Health (LP100200164)
- University of New South Wales
- Swinburne University of Technology
- Flinders University
- Department of Health, State Government of Victoria
- Australian Research Council (LP100200164)
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Disaster Management and Resilience
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Keywords
- disaster mental health, social networks, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, social connectedness, social fragmentation, property loss, community cohesion
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Depressive Disorder, Disasters, Female, Fires, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk, Social Support, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Victoria, Cohort Studies, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Survivors, Protective Factors
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