Several personality factors appear to be associated with such resilience, including a tendency toward self-enhancement and positive emotions ( Bonanno, Rennicke, & Dekel, 2005). Moreover, as many as half of survivors show resilience in the face of loss and trauma, displaying little or no grief beyond the first few months ( Bonanno, 2008). Indeed, a meta-analysis of 52 disaster studies indicated that effects attenuate as the number of weeks from the event elapse ( Rubonis & Bickman, 1991). Whereas some studies have noted enduring effects ( Green et al., 1990 Lima, Pai, Santacruz, Lozano, & Luna, 1987 Stein et al., 2004 Thienkrua et al., 2006), the majority find that problems are relatively short-lived, with survivors recovering from the initial shock and trauma within a matter of weeks or months of the event (e.g., Cook & Bickman, 1990 Salzer & Bickman, 1999 Sundin & Horowitz, 2003). Specific transient symptoms may include distressing worries, difficulties sleeping and concentrating, and disturbing memories, many of which dissipate over time with solid emotional support ( Norris et al., 2005).įindings on the long-term health and mental health consequences of disasters are somewhat mixed. Much of this research focuses on the short-term implications and indicates that disaster survivors evidence a wide range of reactions, including symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as other, often co-morbid, conditions such as depression, anxiety, somatization, substance abuse, and physical illness ( Kessler et al., 2006 Pfefferbaum & Doughty, 2001 Solomon & Green, 1992). A substantial literature has examined the mental and physical health effects of exposure to disasters ( Galea, Nandi, & Vlahov, 2005 Rubonis & Bickman, 1991). Pre-hurricane data permitted an assessment of change in physical and mental health over time and of the role of material and social resources in protecting participants from both hurricane exposure and adverse outcomes following the event.Įach year, excluding droughts and war, nearly 500 incidents across the globe meet the Red Cross definition of a disaster ( Norris, Baker, Murphy, & Kaniasty, 2005). The present study investigated how a sample of primarily single, low-income, African-American women adjusted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Even among the most vulnerable groups, however, there is often considerable variation in survivors’ resources, exposure, and responses ( Dyson, 2006). Low-income, African American, single mothers were at particularly high risk for suffering these adverse effects ( Adeola, 2009 Jones-DeWeever, 2008).
Beyond the physical devastation, the hurricane led to elevated health and mental health difficulties among survivors ( Galea et al., 2007 Kessler, Galea, Jones, & Parker, 2006 Mills, Edmondson, & Park, 2007 Wang et al., 2007 Weisler, Barbee, & Townsend, 2006). Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S.
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