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Assessment of psychological reactions in disaster victims
Author(s) -
Ollendick Duane G.,
Hoffmann Sister Margeen
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(198204)10:2<157::aid-jcop2290100209>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - mental health , depression (economics) , psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , poison control , medicine , environmental health , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
Through the joint efforts of the area community mental health center and an emergency relief organization, psychological reactions of flood victims were measured. A random sample of 124 adults and 54 children were interviewed, using scales reflecting measures of depression and stress. Results showed that adults perceived themselves to be significantly more depressed and stressed in areas such as adaptation and physical complaints. Children's results were mixed, depending on age, although problems existed with regressive and aggressive behaviors, fears, and in miscellaneous areas such as sleep difficulty. Recommendations are made for further community mental health involvement, as well as emphasizing the need for further empirical work in the assessment of postdisaster emotional sequelae.