Long-Term Mental Health Outcomes of Children Exposed to Natural Disasters
Date
2022
Authors
Ravesteyn, Sarah
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Abstract
Natural disasters often occur in Australia and are projected to increase due to climate change. Studies suggest that exposure to natural disasters impact a child's mental health, however the short-and long-term mental health outcomes are unclear. Anxiety and depression are a global issue for children and adults alike yet are under-researched in longitudinal studies on children and natural disasters. Using longitudinal data collected from children exposed to the 1983 Ash Wednesday Bushfires we investigated children's behaviours, using the Rutter Parent Questionnaire, 26 months post-fires, and their adult anxiety and depression scores 30 years later, via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. There were no statistically significant differences in adult anxiety and depression scores between the exposed children and a matched cohort not exposed to the fires. However, short-term effects were shown to be that those children exposed to the bushfires were at a statistically higher risk of exhibiting disordered behaviour when compared to the matched group. Finally, it was found that the group exposed to the Ash Wednesday Bushfires who exhibited disordered behaviour shortly after the bushfires were at higher risk for long-term anxiety and depression outcomes, before and after adjusting for other known risk factors. This study adds to the research on the short-term outcomes on children's mental health post-disaster, and long-term adult anxiety and depression when exposed to a natural disaster as a child. The research highlights the importance of early post-disaster interventions for those children presenting with problematic behaviours. Keywords: Natural disaster, bushfire, children, anxiety, depression
School/Discipline
School of Psychology
Dissertation Note
Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2022
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