Children and young people's wellbeing post-disaster: Safety and stability are critical

doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2015.06.006

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction

Volume 14, Part 2, December 2015, Pages 195-201

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2015.06.006 Get rights and content

Abstract

Children, young people and parents from communities affected by the February 2009 bushfires in Victoria, Australia, were interviewed four to five years post-fires as part of the Beyond Bushfires research study. Participant-guided mobile methods were used, in conjunction with interviews, with 35 people aged 4–66 years, to explore their current sense of place and community. Analysis of their stories revealed how children and young people sought safety and stability in the aftermath of a disaster experience in their home, school, social, recreational and work environments. For some families, this was a significant factor in a decision to move away from affected communities, whereas for others the familiarity of the local environment and community members counteracted the post-disaster disruption. The interplay of child, parent and grandparent mutual support and protection was evident, with friends, schools and communities also providing important support in creating safe environments for children.

Section snippets

Background

There is strong evidence demonstrating the short and long term impacts of disasters on the physical, emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of children and young people [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]. While most disaster survivors will recover without the need for specialised support [5], [11], post-disaster community interventions to support positive outcomes are important for reducing the risk of serious problems arising in multiple areas of a child or young person's

Setting

Beyond Bushfires is a mixed methods study investigating individual and community recovery following the 2009 Victorian bushfires [30] (www.beyondbushfires.org.au). It is being conducted using a participatory approach with 24 communities based in 10 locations across Victoria, Australia. These communities were selected and invited to participate based on diversity criteria relating to community size, location, socio-demographics and bushfire impact.

Sampling and recruitment

Current and previous (2009) residents in the

Results

The interviews were conducted in 2013 and 2014, four to five years after the bushfires, with 35 participants in 25 interviews (18 male and 17 female), ranging in age from 4 to 66 years. They included two grandparents, 17 parents, five children and two young adults who were teenagers at the time of the fires. All the participants were from high fire-affected communities in Victoria, Australia. Four of the families had relocated to other communities since the bushfires.

Discussion

Interviews conducted with children, young people and adults about their lives after the 2009 Victorian bushfires revealed dramatic bushfire experiences and significant disruption and dislocation in every facet of their lives, consistent with evidence from other disasters such as Hurricane Katrina [35]. There was evidence of mental health and wellbeing problems as a result, in some cases requiring professional support for the child and/or young person. These children and their families also

Conclusion

This study contributes to increased understanding of the needs of children and young people in the five years following a disaster. In interviews children, young people and parents highlighted the exposure to individual and community level trauma and dislocation, the effects of which were expressed in every element of their lives. There was clear evidence of children’s capacity to recognise and address the challenges of a post-disaster context, contributing to important decision making about

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the research participants in sharing their time and experiences. The following study investigators and partners, although not authors on this paper, are also acknowledged for their substantial contribution to the development of the Beyond Bushfires study: Professor Richard Bryant, Professor Philippa Pattison, Dr Dean Lusher, Dr Colin Gallagher, Vikki Sinnott and Connie Kellett. This study is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage

References (48)

L. Dell’Osso et al.
Impact of traumatic loss on post-traumatic spectrum symptoms in high school students after the L'Aquila 2009 earthquake in Italy
J. Affect. Disord.
(2011)
A.C. McFarlane
Posttraumatic phenomena in a longitudinal study of children following a natural disaster
J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry
(1987)
E. Alisic et al.
Building child trauma theory from longitudinal studies: a meta-analysis
Clin. Psychol. Rev.
(2011)
W.A. Anderson
Bringing children into focus on the social science disaster research agenda
Int. J. Mass Emerg. Disasters
(2005)
A. Bal
Post-traumatic stress disorder in Turkish child and adolescent survivors three years after the Marmara earthquake
Child Adolesc. Mental Health
(2008)
G.A. Bonanno et al.
Weighing the costs of disaster: consequences, risks, and resilience in individuals, families, and communities
Psychol. Sci. Public Interest
(2010)
B. McDermott et al.
Travelled: a Guide to Children Emotions and Disasters
(2012)
A.C. McFarlane et al.
Impact of childhood exposure to a natural disaster on adult mental health: 20-year longitudinal follow-up study
(2009)
L. Peek
Children and disasters: understanding vulnerability, developing capacities, and promoting resilience – an introduction
Child. Youth Environ.
(2008)
C. Yelland et al.
Bushfire impact on youth
J. Trauma. Stress
(2010)

R. Gordon

When children won't talk about trauma

Psychother. Aust.

(2002)

R. Gilligan

Adversity, resilience and young people: the protective value of positive school and spare time experiences

Child. Soc.

(2000)

S.E. Hobfoll et al.

Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: empirical evidence

Psychiatry

(2007)

A.H. Maslow

A theory of human motivation

Psychol. Rev.

(1943)

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), A child's needs and rights, NSPCC Fact Sheet....

UNCRC, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, in: G.A. Resolutions 44/25, annex, 44 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No....

A.S. Masten et al.

Child development in the context of disaster, war, and terrorism: pathways of risk and resilience

Annu. Rev. Psychol.

(2012)

L. Gibbs et al.

Where do we start? A proposed post disaster intervention framework for children and young people

Pastor. Care Educ.

(2014)

Department of Human Services, Child Development and Trauma....

L. Downey, Calmer classrooms: a guide to working with traumatised children, Office of the Child Safety Commissioner....

D.A. Gaffney

The aftermath of disaster: children in crisis

J. Clin. Psychol.

(2006)

A. Giddens

The Consequences of Modernity

(1990)

R.L. Hawkins et al.

You fix my community, you have fixed my life': the disruption and rebuilding of ontological security in New Orleans

Disasters

(2011)

D. Houlihan et al.

Predictors of behavior and level of life satisfaction of children and adolescents after a major tornado

J. Psychol. Trauma

(2008)

Cited by (20)

Child disaster resilience in action: Post-bushfire qualitative perspectives on a school-based preparedness program
2023, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
We aimed to explore the acceptability of delivering a child-focused disaster preparedness program in primary schools in a high disaster-risk area and assess community perspectives of young people's application of preparedness skills during a large-scale bushfire in Australia. Fifteen adult community members participated in individual key-informant interviews online and in-person. Interviews were conducted one year following a major bushfire event in the community. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to determine community perceptions of the preparedness program's acceptability, applicability and impact. Findings indicated that parents and school staff valued the age-appropriate content and delivery of the preparedness program and viewed it as highly relevant, engaging and applicable for primary school children. Many reported that the program supported child-led decision making in evacuation preparedness, heightened a sense of agency, and enhanced social connectedness. Interviewees described multiple instances of children who had completed the preparedness program later enacting the key response strategies during bushfires. The findings complement calls for child preparedness education and highlight the long-term positive impacts of engaging children in disaster resilience. Accordingly, disaster risk reduction measures should incorporate child-focused strategies to foster whole-of-community resilience in high-risk areas.
Climate change impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of young people: A scoping review of risk and protective factors
2022, Social Science and Medicine
The impact of climate change on the mental health of young people is poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to climate change exerts a disproportionate mental health burden on young people. An understanding of the risk factors (RFs) and protective factors (PFs) that affect the likelihood of mental health impacts arising from exposure to climate change is required to support youth wellbeing.
This review scopes the current research on what and how RFs and PFs are related to the mental health impacts of both direct and indirect exposure to climate change for young people. RFs and PFs were reviewed through the lens of ecological system theory.
We conducted systematic searches in four databases: PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Scopus. Grey literature searches were conducted in ProQuest Dissertations, GreyLit.org, OpenGrey, and relevant organisations’ websites. We included 92 empirical studies focused on the RFs and PFs of the mental wellbeing under the impact of climate change of young people (0–24). We extracted data on study characteristics, type of climate change event, mental health outcomes, RFs and PFs, and associated ecological system level.
The current evidence base focuses predominantly on young people's experience of PTSD (k = 59), depression (k = 26), or anxiety (k = 17) mainly following exposure to singular climate change-related natural disaster events. Only four studies explored the impacts of climate change in general. Majority of the studies investigated RFs and PFs at the individual level and at the micro-system level.
Several RFs and PFs were identified, such as coping strategies, family factors (e.g. parenting style), social support, community connection, and cultural identity. Positioning the mental health impacts of singular events within the broader context of ongoing and escalating climate change impacts will better inform the development of interventions that seek to build resilience among young people.
Psychosocial consequences of exposure to a technological disaster in adolescence: The example of the Lac-Mégantic railway tragedy
2021, Neuropsychiatrie de l'Enfance et de l'Adolescence
En 2013, un déraillement de train à Lac-Mégantic (Québec, Canada) a occasionné d’importantes pertes humaines et matérielles. Cette étude documente les conséquences de l’exposition à cette catastrophe sur le fonctionnement psychosocial d’adolescents.
Trois ans et demi après la tragédie, 689 élèves, âgés de 12 à 18 ans, ont complété, tous en même temps, un questionnaire autoadministré au sein de leur école.
L’étude souligne que les jeunes adolescents exposés au désastre étaient significativement plus nombreux à constater une diminution de la qualité de vie dans leur communauté (12,9 %), à présenter une estime de soi et un niveau de résilience plus faibles, ainsi qu’à éprouver des problèmes psychologiques, dont des manifestations de stress post-traumatique (15,6 %) et des pensées suicidaires (38,9 %), au cours de l’année précédant l’enquête. Les adolescents exposés étaient aussi significativement plus nombreux à déclarer des difficultés, tant personnelles, familiales que scolaires, en raison de leur consommation d’alcool.
L’étude souligne que, plus de trois ans après un déraillement de train, les adolescents qui avaient été exposés à cette catastrophe, comparativement à leurs pairs non exposés, étaient davantage affectés dans plusieurs aspects leur vie personnelle, familiale, scolaire et communautaire. Les résultats mettent de l’avant l’importance d’agir auprès des adolescents victimes d’une catastrophe.
In 2013, a train derailment in Lac-Megantic (Quebec, Canada) caused significant human and material losses. This study documents the consequences of exposure to this disaster on the psychosocial functioning of adolescents.
Three and a half years after the tragedy, 689 students aged 12 to 18 completed a self-administered questionnaire at their school, for a response rate of 85.3%. The questionnaire included multiple choice questions designed to describe the sociodemographic, family, educational and social characteristics of the respondents as well as their psychological health. It was designed using scales or questions that were previously validated with young people during national surveys.
The study shows that teenagers exposed to such a disaster are more at risk of developing psychological health problems than their unexposed peers. Significantly, more students exposed to the train derailment than unexposed youth saw a decrease in the quality of life in their community (12.9%). They also scored significantly lower for their resilience and for three of the five resilience protection factors measured using the Resilience Factors Inventory (IFR – 40). They had more psychological difficulties, including manifestations of post-traumatic stress (15.6%). They also had suicide thoughts in the 12 months prior to the survey (38.9%) and had lower self-esteem compared to their unexposed peers. Finally, significantly more exposed teenagers reported personal, family and school difficulties due to their alcohol consumption.
The study shows that in the long term after a technological disaster, teenagers who have been directly or indirectly exposed are more affected than their unexposed peers. In light of the results obtained, research must continue in order to guide professionals in setting up psychosocial interventions that adequately respond to the experiences and needs of these young people.
'Reclaiming place in a tourist town’: Preliminary findings from a social theatre research project run by young people during COVID-19
2021, Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights
Tailoring disaster risk reduction for adolescents: Qualitative perspectives from China and Nepal
2019, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Citation Excerpt :
This issue is further complicated by overlapping definitions of child (below 18 years), adolescent (10–19 years) and youth (15–24 years). However, recent policy and programing efforts have recognized that adolescents should be viewed as active participants in disaster recovery, and that reliable data are needed to determine the unique needs of this group [14]. It has become widely accepted that adolescents should be encouraged to take on roles in decision making, program design, and where feasible, implementation [4,6,15].
There is great potential for adolescents to play an active role in disaster response. Yet a dearth of evidence limits efforts to provide age-appropriate services and roles after emergencies. Sixty-nine adolescents (51% female, ages 13–19) and 72 adults (47% female, ages 22–66) participated in key informant interviews and focus group discussions in disaster-affected areas of China and Nepal. Using inductive content analysis, several themes were identified as key to adolescents’ needs prior to and following disaster exposure. Safety and security emerged as a central issue, interconnected with preparedness training, timely and equitable disaster response, psychosocial support, and adolescent participation in risk reduction. Adolescents’ contributions to disaster response were varied and substantial; including involvement in rescue efforts, delivering first aid, conducting security patrols, transferring building materials, caring for family members and assisting with health education. Participants forwarded a number of recommendations, including stronger systems of protection and family reunification, investing in psychological support, and the delivery of disaster-specific education and skills based training programs. The recognition of adolescents’ potential to contribute to rebuilding after disasters is imperative, as is the development of services that take into account their specific needs.
Understanding youth disaster recovery: The vital role of people, places, and activities
2017, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Citation Excerpt :
Understanding disaster recovery from the perspective of children and youth has received relatively less scholarly attention; however, a growing body of research is beginning to explore youth adaptation to disasters and other traumatic events (e.g., [16,40,68,73]). This important work on children and youth identified a range of interacting vulnerabilities [21] (risks, stressors, and exposure), and protective or promotive factors for recovery and resilience at the personal (e.g., neurobiological, personality, past experience, self-regulation, agency), relational (e.g., parents, family, attachment systems), environmental (e.g., places and community), and cultural (e.g., norms, mores, and practices) levels [12,26,27,41,59]. According to Peek [46], children and youth are some of the most susceptible to the negative impacts of disasters including psychological morbidity, physical injury, sanitation-related illnesses and other health concerns, death, and the adverse impacts of losing child-friendly spaces (e.g., home, schools and playgrounds) including educational decline and school dropout.
As disasters escalate in frequency and severity, children and youth are among those most at risk for resulting adverse psychological, social, health, and educational effects. Although there is growing interest in the vulnerabilities and capacities of youth who have experienced disaster, research focusing on their lived experiences during the recovery period remains sparse. In response to this knowledge gap, youth between the ages of 13–22 were invited to participate in workshops spanning one to four days, where they used art, music, photography, videography, and other means to articulate their experiences of post-disaster recovery. The research took place in four disaster-affected communities in the United States and Canada, including Joplin, Slave Lake, Calgary, and High River. Youth stories revealed key people, places, and activities that supported their recovery, and the mechanisms through which those supports had a positive impact. Examining youth perspectives is important to concretize and contextualize theories of disaster recovery.

View all citing articles on Scopus

¹: Previous appointment.

View full text

Children and young people's wellbeing post-disaster: Safety and stability are critical

Abstract

Section snippets

Background

Setting

Sampling and recruitment

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

J. Affect. Disord.

J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry

Clin. Psychol. Rev.

Bringing children into focus on the social science disaster research agenda

Int. J. Mass Emerg. Disasters

Post-traumatic stress disorder in Turkish child and adolescent survivors three years after the Marmara earthquake

Child Adolesc. Mental Health

Weighing the costs of disaster: consequences, risks, and resilience in individuals, families, and communities

Psychol. Sci. Public Interest

Travelled: a Guide to Children Emotions and Disasters

Impact of childhood exposure to a natural disaster on adult mental health: 20-year longitudinal follow-up study

Children and disasters: understanding vulnerability, developing capacities, and promoting resilience – an introduction

Child. Youth Environ.

Bushfire impact on youth

J. Trauma. Stress