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Psychological Impairment in the Wake of Disaster: The Disaster–Psychopathology Relationship

DOI:10.1037/0033-2909.109.3.384
Authors:
Anthony V. Rubonis
Anthony V. Rubonis
Anthony V. Rubonis
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Leonard Bickman at Vanderbilt University
Leonard Bickman
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Abstract

The present review examines the relationship between disaster occurrence and psychopathology outcome for 52 studies that used quantitative measures of such a relationship. Descriptive and inferential techniques were used to examine relationships among four sets of variables: (a) the characteristics of the victim population, (b) the characteristics of the disaster, (c) study methodology, and (d) the type of psychopathology. A small but consistently positive relationship between disasters and psychopathology was found. The distribution of effect-size estimates was significantly heterogeneous, and this heterogeneity was partially accounted for by methodological characteristics of the research. When controlling for methodology, victim and disaster characteristics also contributed variance to the disaster-psychopathology relationship. Implications for future research are outlined in view of these results.
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... There is robust evidence that community-wide disasters lead to mental health problems. In a meta-analysis of 52 studies examining the mental health consequences of natural and technological disasters, Rubonis and Bickman (1991) found that rates of psychopathology increased by 17% following a disaster compared with predisaster or control-group levels. The most common problems were anxiety, somatic complaints, alcohol problems, phobic reactions, and depression. ...
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