RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The predicted rise in weather-related disasters indicates that many Australian children and their families will be affected by these events in the future. Play therapy, an emerging profession in Australia, may provide valuable support to children exposed to these events. METHODS: A scoping review was designed to map the existing literature and the role of the play therapist in supporting children (aged 3-12 years) and families following natural disasters, and to formulate a model to guide play therapists in the future. RESULTS: A systematic search of the literature was performed and a total of 25 articles were identified as relevant to the role of the play therapist in response to natural disasters. CONCLUSION: Play therapists must be mindful of the different phases of natural disaster response and how their role may vary across these phases. In the early stages post-disaster, a play therapist may be involved in psychoeducation, facilitating therapeutic play and community involvement. More formal clinical play therapy interventions that focus on the individual child or family are better suited to the latter stages of disaster response. There is a need for further research into the impact of natural disasters on children and families and interventions that aid mental health and well-being, especially for children who may be more vulnerable and potentially overlooked in the wake of such disasters. Further research is also needed into the effectiveness of play therapy as a post-disaster intervention for children.

RESUMEN

Freshwater fishes are among the most biodiverse vertebrate groups and among the most threatened by anthropogenic activities. Many occur in small and geographically restricted populations that are increasingly subject to catastrophic events (hurricanes, wildfires, extreme floods and droughts), but it has rarely been possible to assess the impacts of such events. Here we document the decline and recovery of a regularly monitored, small shoal bass (Micropterus cataractae) population in the Chipola River, Florida following a catastrophic hurricane disturbance. The Chipola River population has the lowest level of interspecific hybridization (over 90 % non-introgressed shoal bass) within the species' range, a census population size of 2165 (95 % CI [1,383, 3,801]) in 2009 and a genetically effective population size Ne of 135 (95 % CI [70, 472]). In 2018, Hurricane Michael devastated the Chipola River and watershed. A survey conducted in 2019 indicated a severe decline (91 %) in relative population abundance and a very low Ne at 21 (95 % CI [16, 29]). However, the detection of young-of-year fish indicated that the depleted population had experienced successful reproduction. In fall 2021, the census population had recovered to 1039 fish (95 % CI [660, 1,814]) and Ne at 40 (95 % CI [31, 50]). While the population has shown considerable resilience in the face of hurricane disturbance, it remains vulnerable to future catastrophic events and may also suffer a long-term reduction in its adaptive potential due to a relatively low effective population size. To address these threats, continued monitoring is necessitated and targeted measures such as translocation of non-introgressed individuals from neighboring populations or establishment of a captive population of sufficient effective population size may be required to conserve the species in the long term.

RESUMEN

Natural disasters, such as the eruption of the "Tajogaite" volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma, might have a high impact on the mental health of those who experience them. This study aims to evaluate the mental state of La Palma's population on the acute phase of the event as well as two and seven months later. The main hypothesis was that levels of anxiety will decrease in time, while depression and perceived stress levels will remain stable. Levels of depression, anxiety, perceived stress and psychological well-being were measured, as well as their relationship and certain demographic variables such as age, gender and residential situation. Results showed that anxiety and perceived stress significantly decreased with time, but depression and well-being remained stable. Moreover, higher levels of depression could be partly explained by higher anxiety and perceived stress, previous pharmacological treatment, and lower levels of well-being. Also, being a woman, higher levels of perceived stress, living in a region affected by the eruption, and previous pharmacological treatment significantly predicted higher anxiety; being a woman, higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of well-being significantly predicted higher perceived stress. Finally, higher levels of well-being could be partly explained by lower levels of depression and perceived stress, and not living alone. This study was able to identify particularly vulnerable groups during natural disasters, such as the eruption of a volcano. This is important to provide early psychological care to those who need it in these situations.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was an extremely destructive event in Aceh, Indonesia, killing over 160,000 people and destroying infrastructure, homes, and livelihoods over miles of coastline. In its immediate aftermath, affected populations faced a daunting array of challenges. At the population level, questions of how the disaster affected children's and parents' aspirations for education and whether it permanently disrupted schooling progression are critical in understanding how shocks affect human capital in the short and long term. We use longitudinal data from the Study of the Tsunami Aftermath and Recovery (STAR) to examine how disaster exposure affects educational aspirations and eventual attainment. We find that damage to one's community depresses aspirations in the short term but that this weakens with time. With respect to educational attainment 15 years after the event, children's aspirations, parents' education, and family socioeconomic status are more important determinants of whether children complete high school and go on to tertiary schooling than disaster exposure. While these results likely reflect, at least in part, the successful post-tsunami reconstruction program, they also establish enormous resilience among survivors who bore the brunt of the tsunami.

RESUMEN

Comparing with cities, rural communities especially those declining rural communities have become vulnerable to natural disasters owing to their backward socioeconomic conditions. Taking Xun County of China's Henan Province as the study area, the paper aims to evaluate rural community resilience to flood by unveiling the connection between individuals' cognition, follow-up actions and the community resilience. Research results show that: (1) The logic chain exists as individual's cognition to disaster leads to their constructive actions to cope with disaster, which contribute to community resilience. (2) At the cognition dimension, individual's knowledge reserve of disaster prevention and their recognition to local authority are playing an important role in their decision making and follow-up behaviors when disaster occurs. (3) At the action dimension, individual's familiarity with the disaster preparedness, efficient information transmission when disaster occurs and villagers' following order and their unity of action all contribute to community resilience to disaster. The paper proposes ways to improve rural community resilience to disasters based on the research findings.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The Philippines are at the forefront of climate change impacts, including those related to health and well-being, but information on mental health and well-being are typically underreported. To help address this research lacuna, we conducted a systematic literature review. We aimed to provide an overview of current research knowledge and research gaps regarding the impacts of climate change outcomes on Filipinos' mental health and well-being. Consulting 8 databases, we identified 951 records. The final analysis included 32 studies: 16 quantitative, 11 qualitative, 2 longitudinal, 2 experimental, and 1 published report. A narrative synthesis has been performed to synthesize the findings from included studies. Studies were presented in four sections: 1) Risks to mental health following a natural disaster, 2) Determinants of post-traumatic stress disorder risks, 3) Resilience and post-traumatic growth following natural disasters, and 4) Personal experiences and other mental health outcomes. Reviewed data show that climate change outcomes strongly and negatively impact Filippino's mental health and well-being. Climate change outcomes also, negatively affect mental health through indirect (e.g., sleep disorders) and long-term pathways for example by being exposed to stressors such as migration, conflict, and violence. A set of coping strategies was identified which include banding together, mobilizing health experts, and expanding the local relationships with health workers. Future prospective studies should assess the effects of rising sea levels and vector-borne diseases among frontline communities. More interventional studies assessing preventive interventions and health promotion initiatives should be carried out to mitigate mental health disorders and improve well-being, thus contributing to improved health outcomes.

RESUMEN

This study was conducted as a qualitative inquiry to deeply explore the thoughts and experiences of nursing students involved in support activities in disaster areas. It was conducted as a qualitative study. Data for the study were collected through face-to-face interviews or video conferencing using a Personal Information Form and a Semi-Structured Interview Form created by the researcher. Data analysis was conducted using the MAXQDA software. The population of this qualitative study consisted of nursing students actively involved in support activities in 11 provinces affected by the magnitude of 7.7 earthquake centered in Kahramanmaras/Turkey. The sample of the study comprised nursing students who responded to our call shared with nursing student groups and met the inclusion criteria. Through qualitative analysis, three themes were identified: initial emotions experienced during the earthquake, difficulties faced during the earthquake process, and emotions following the earthquake experience. Students participating in support activities in the earthquake-affected region provided explanations regarding their emotions, encountered ethical dilemmas, infrastructure issues, as well as deficiencies in organization and education.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in 2011 posed significant challenges to the educational sector, particularly affecting nursing students in the disaster area. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no reports on the effects of the natural disaster coupled with the nuclear accident on the nursing students. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the impact of the Fukushima disasters on rate of academic failure events in nursing education. METHODS: A retrospective cohort approach was conducted, focusing on 677 students from Soma Nursing School admitted between 2001 and 2017. Four failure events-failure to pass the national examination, student retention, suspension, and withdrawal from school-were compared between three time periods: pre-disaster, early peri-disaster, and later peri-disaster. This analysis was followed by a questionnaire survey among the students and an interview with faculty members to gain further insights. RESULTS: Of the student cohort, 17% had at least one failure event. Students in the later peri-disaster phase faced an elevated failure rate at 29%. Variables such as being male, admission during later peri-disaster period, and local pre-admission residence played a significant role in these failure events in multivariate logistic regression analysis (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval, p value]; 2.63 [1.49-4.64, < 0.001], 3.207 [2.00-5.15, < 0.001], and 1.84 [1.12-3.02, 0.02], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following nuclear accident on nursing education. The elevated failure rates in the later peri-disaster period emphasize the challenges posed by continuing disaster phases. Thus, there is a need for intensified and tailored strategies in nursing education in disaster-affected regions.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND:  Climate change (CC) persists as a critical public health concern, vividly demonstrated by Pakistan's severe unprecedented flooding from June to October 2022. The interplay between floods and CC highlights the urgent need to comprehend their complex dynamics. Given Pakistan's significant geographical vulnerability to CC events, assessing public awareness of CC becomes essential. This study aims to evaluate public knowledge, attitudes, and perception (KAP) regarding CC and its implications for overall health, reflecting onto governmental policies and community-based guidelines and enhancing preparedness for future natural calamities of similar magnitude. METHODS:  A nationwide cross-sectional survey of Pakistani adults covering all provinces of the country was conducted from January to March 2023 using a prevalidated questionnaire. A purposive sampling strategy was used to enroll participants in the study. Where appropriate, the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare KAP among the sociodemographic groups. Multivariate analysis was used to explore predictors of knowledge. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated considering a p value of ≤0.05 as significant. RESULTS:  Among the 714 respondents, 265 (37.1%) of the respondents' residential areas were affected by the floods in Pakistan. A total of 663 (92.9%) of the participants had heard of CC, with 302 (42.3%) choosing "social media/WhatsApp" as their source of information. Increased flooding and changes in rainfall patterns were selected by 679 (95.1%) and 661 (92.6%) participants, respectively, as the most recognized CC. "Deforestation" was the most indicated reason for CC by 675 (94.5%) participants. Multivariate analysis revealed that females (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.16-2.00; p < 0.001), individuals who were affected by recent floods (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-3.34; p = 0.003), and individuals who were medical students/healthcare workers (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.24-2.48; p < 0.001) had greater knowledge of CC than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS:  The study reported an encouraging prevalence of knowledge of CC, positive attitudes, and practices toward CC, with an interest in learning and doing more to address the health effects of CC. With the ongoing global CC and a monsoon season forecast of similar intensity for the years to come in Pakistan, identifying groups with less knowledge of CC warrants a targeted education program to maximize awareness. Based on the study findings, social media platforms and interventions in educational institutes should be essential to mitigate the CC events in Pakistan and other vulnerable regions in the area.

RESUMEN

During the COVID-19 pandemic, climate-related natural hazards, such as wildfires, storms/hurricanes, and others (e.g., earthquakes, tornadoes), further disrupted the normal functioning of US residents. The co-occurrence of natural disasters and COVID-19 created unprecedentedly elevated levels of stress, especially to the racial/ethnic minorities and lower-income households. This study examines how natural disasters related to recreational drug use during COVID-19 and whether the relation is heterogeneous across different subgroups categorized by race/ethnicity and household income. This study used the data from the biweekly online surveys of the Understanding America Study (UAS) and analyzed the drug use behaviors of 966 US adults between April 29 and December 31, 2020. This study found that middle-income adults (household income ranging from $50,000 to $149,999), serving as the reference group, generally exhibited a significant reduction in drug consumption during or after disaster events. However, compared to the middle-income group, White and Black adults with household income lower than $50,000 showed 142% and 88% more frequent drug use when experiencing storms/hurricanes. This disparity widened in the following weeks. Additionally, lower-income Hispanics showed 74% more frequent drug use compared to the middle-income group in the weeks following wildfire incidents. The study's findings shed light on the risk of drug misuse during the co-occurrence of climate and public health crises, emphasizing the disproportionate risk among lower-income racial/ethnic minorities amid the pandemic and natural disasters.

RESUMEN

The everyday extreme uncertainties become the new normal for our world. Critical infrastructures like electrical power grid and transportation systems are in dire need of adaptability to dynamic changes. Moreover, stringent policies and strategies towards zero carbon emission require the heavy influx of renewable energy sources (RES) and adoption of electric transportation systems. In addition, the world has seen an increased frequency of extreme natural disasters. These events adversely impact the electrical grid, specifically the less hardened distribution grid. Hence, a resilient electrical network is the demand of the future to fulfill critical loads and charging of emergency electrical vehicles (EV). Therefore, this paper proposes a two-dimensional methodology in planning and operational phase for a resilient electric distribution grid. Initially stochastic modelling of EV load has been performed duly considering the geographical feature and commute pattern to form probability distribution functions. Thenceforth, the impact assessment of extreme natural events like earthquakes using damage state classification has been done to model the impact on distribution grid. The efficacy of the proposed methodology has been tested by simulating an urban Indian distribution grid with mapped EV on DigSILENT PowerFactory integrated with supervised learning tools on Python. Subsequently 24-h load profile before event and after event have been compared to analyze the impact.

RESUMEN

Limited access to food stores is often linked to higher health risks and lower community resilience. Socially vulnerable populations experience persistent disparities in equitable food store access. However, little research has been done to examine how people's access to food stores is affected by natural disasters. Previous studies mainly focus on examining potential access using the travel distance to the nearest food store, which often falls short of capturing the actual access of people. Therefore, to fill this gap, this paper incorporates human mobility patterns into the measure of actual access, leveraging large-scale mobile phone data. Specifically, we propose a novel enhanced two-step floating catchment area method with travel preferences (E2SFCA-TP) to measure accessibility, which extends the traditional E2SFCA model by integrating actual human mobility behaviors. We then analyze people's actual access to grocery and convenience stores across both space and time under the devastating winter storm Uri in Harris County, Texas. Our results highlight the value of using human mobility patterns to better reflect people's actual access behaviors. The proposed E2SFCA-TP measure is more capable of capturing mobility variations in people's access, compared with the traditional E2SFCA measure. This paper provides insights into food store access across space and time, which could aid decision making in resource allocation to enhance accessibility and mitigate the risk of food insecurity in underserved areas.

RESUMEN

The study of natural disasters is a crucial field that involves analyzing the occurrence, impact, and aftermath of various natural hazards that can cause significant harm to communities and the environment. Efficient waste management and environmental protection require proper classification of waste. Analyzing natural disasters and categorizing waste can be a time-consuming task, and conventional methods often struggle with it. However, a new approach called Visual Geometry Group with Federated Learning (VGG-FL) has been introduced to address these challenges. This methodology uses the golden search optimization (GSO) algorithm for feature selection and leverages VGG with federated learning for feature extraction and classification. To test the effectiveness of this method, a disaster image dataset was used to train the VGG-FL model. The results showed that the VGG-FL model attained exceptional accuracy in discerning and categorizing various disaster scenarios. The waste classification dataset simultaneously trains the VGG-FL model to categorize waste based on its characteristics and potential hazards. To measure the model's performance, several evaluation metrics such as accuracy, specificity, precision, F1-score, and recall are utilized to assess the effectiveness of the proposed VGG-FL method. These results are then compared with existing methodologies. The VGG-FL method performs exceptionally well, achieving 98.52% accuracy, 97.48% precision, 97.83% recall, 97.58% F1-score, and 97.12% specificity. These experimental findings demonstrate the efficacy of the VGG-FL method in analyzing natural disasters and classifying waste materials.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A heavy rainstorm struck Henan, China, in July 2021. Previous studies have indicated that natural disasters have a wide range of psychological sequelae, but little research has been done on the psychological effects of floods specifically. This study aimed to track the mental health trajectories of flood victims over time and identify associated protective and risk factors. People living in the areas most impacted by the flood (N = 376) were surveyed at four different time points: 3 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months post-flood. Latent growth mixture modeling was utilized to delineate longitudinal patterns of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression, a supervised machine-learning approach, was employed to discern predictors among 49 assessed variables at both contextual and personal levels. Results revealed three classes of PTSD (resilience, recovery, moderate symptoms) and anxiety (resilience, chronicity, recovery) trajectories, along with two classes of depression trajectories (resilience, chronicity). Key factors predicting resilience in mental health included personality traits, media consumption habits, pre-existing health conditions at the individual level, and asset loss and ongoing adversities at the contextual level. In spite of the widespread impact of the flood, most victims displayed resilience in the face of adversity. Identifying critical factors across various psychological symptoms offers valuable insights for both pre-disaster preparation and post-disaster trans-diagnostic psychological interventions.

RESUMEN

The COLOSS research association has been assessing honey bee colony losses, associated risk factors and management, focusing on Western countries but with a progressive international expansion. Here, we report the first survey on the loss rates of colonies in 2022/2023 in Ethiopia using COLOSS monitoring survey tools. A face-to-face interview questionnaire survey was conducted on 64 beekeepers selected from Oromia and Tigray regions. This covered 1713 honey bee colonies distributed in 68 apiaries. The percentages of colonies lost were significantly different between Oromia (24.1%) and Tigray (66.4%) regions. Colony losses were attributed as unsolvable queen problems (8% in Oromia; 10% in Tigray), natural disaster (32%; 82%), and empty hives or dead colonies (60%; 8%). The loss rate was significantly affected by queen replacement (p < 0.0001), use of natural comb (p < 0.0001), feed supplementation (p < 0.0001), region (p < 0.0001), varroa treatment (p < 0.0001), colony splitting (p < 0.01), and merging (p < 0.01). Beekeepers in Oromia managed more colonies and implemented improved practices compared to those in Tigray. However, all beekeepers in Oromia detected at least some bees with signs of deformed wing virus, compared to 76% of beekeepers in Tigray. In conclusion, the colony loss rate was significantly different between Oromia and Tigray regions due to differences in natural disasters, management, environment and health factors.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Floods are the most frequent weather-related disaster, causing significant health impacts worldwide. Limited studies have examined the long-term consequences of flooding exposure. METHODS: Flood data were retrieved from the Dartmouth Flood Observatory and linked with health data from 499,487 UK Biobank participants. To calculate the annual cumulative flooding exposure, we multiplied the duration and severity of each flood event and then summed these values for each year. We conducted a nested case-control analysis to evaluate the long-term effect of flooding exposure on all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Each case was matched with eight controls. Flooding exposure was modelled using a distributed lag non-linear model to capture its nonlinear and lagged effects. RESULTS: The risk of all-cause mortality increased by 6.7% (odds ratio (OR): 1.067, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.063-1.071) for every unit increase in flood index after confounders had been controlled for. The mortality risk from neurological and mental diseases was negligible in the current year, but strongest in the lag years 3 and 4. By contrast, the risk of mortality from suicide was the strongest in the current year (OR: 1.018, 95% CI: 1.008-1.028), and attenuated to lag year 5. Participants with higher levels of education and household income had a higher estimated risk of death from most causes whereas the risk of suicide-related mortality was higher among participants who were obese, had lower household income, engaged in less physical activity, were non-moderate alcohol consumers, and those living in more deprived areas. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to floods is associated with an increased risk of mortality. The health consequences of flooding exposure would vary across different periods after the event, with different profiles of vulnerable populations identified for different causes of death. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the long-term impacts of flooding exposure.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: While 5%-10% of children exposed to natural disasters develop PTSD, few children access support. This paper reports on the proactive 'screen-and-treat' approach deployed following devastating floods in Queensland, Australia, in 2011 and presents results for children in the Lockyer Valley (the most impacted community). DESIGN: Open treatment study (2011-2012) within a government-funded post-disaster service response. METHODS: One hundred and fifty children (7-12 years) completed pencil-and-paper screening (PTSD, anxiety and depression) at school. Eighty children endorsing either clinical levels of PTSD, or moderate levels of PTSD and clinical levels of either anxiety or depression, and their parents, completed a structured diagnostic interview. Forty-eight children were offered a free trauma-focused CBT intervention. The parents of 19 children accepted this offer. Most clinicians were clinical psychology trainees from local universities. All measures were repeated at post-treatment, 6- and 12-month follow-up. Note: The term 'parents' is used to refer to the wide variety of people serving as a child's primary caregiver. RESULTS: Pre-treatment, all children met diagnostic criteria for full (N = 17) or sub-clinical PTSD. By post-treatment, 10.5% met criteria for PTSD, with 0% meeting criteria at the 12-month follow-up. The incidence of anxiety and depressive disorders also reduced significantly. There were no differences in outcomes for children seen by trainees compared to experienced clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: A school-based screen-and-treat approach offers potential as a means of identifying and treating children following natural disaster exposure. However, engagement of families at the outset, and when offering intervention was challenging. Postgraduate trainees represent an effective potential workforce in a post-disaster environment.

RESUMEN

Objective: The failure to detect PDG and lack of providing essential interventions accordingly can disrupt the lives of survivors of natural disasters years after the death of their loved ones. The present study aims to investigate PGD after natural disasters using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Study design: This study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Methods: With the focus on the prevalence of PGD after natural disasters, studies conducted until the end of 2021 were collected without a time limit. To do this, reputable databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, and Science Direct were used. The random effects model was used to perform a meta-analysis of the studies. To check the heterogeneity between the studies, the I2 index was used. The publication bias of the study was evaluated using Begg's test. Data were analyzed using the STATA software. Results: Primarily, 2566 studies were collected based on the initial search, from which 12 final studies were entered into the analysis. The results showed that the prevalence of PGD after natural disasters was 38.81 % (95 % CI: 24.12-53.50, I2 = 99.7 %, p = 0 < 001). Conclusions: It is recommended that policies and plannings of the organizations responsible for disaster management be prepared to send specialized teams of psycho-spiritual counseling, quickly accommodate the injured, and reconstruct the damaged buildings in the shortest time possible.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Birthmark Doula Collective, a cooperative that provides doula and lactation services in the Greater New Orleans area, mounted an emergency response after two Category 4 storms: Hurricane Laura (2020) and Hurricane Ida (2021). The response included activating a no-cost emergency perinatal and infant feeding hotline. Both disasters coincided with a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in Louisiana. RESEARCH AIM: The aim of this study is to understand how an emergency perinatal and infant feeding hotline supported infant and young child feeding in emergencies during hurricanes in Louisiana. METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional, retrospective qualitative design in a population with low breastfeeding rates. We conducted a content analysis of 97 hotline call logs from Hurricanes Laura and Ida, focus groups with lactation support providers who staffed the hotline during either storm (n = 5), and interviews with mothers who called during Hurricane Ida (n = 2). Focus groups and interviews lasted 30 and 60 minutes, respectively. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. RESULTS: Call logs revealed infant feeding needs (e.g., mastitis, low milk supply, relactation, and infant formula requests) and non-infant feeding needs (e.g., infant supplies, perinatal and infant care referrals, shelter information). Infant formula was the most requested supply during both hurricanes. Maternal participants discussed family vulnerabilities during Hurricane Ida. Staff described training and strategies to provide support while maintaining their own well-being. CONCLUSION: Providing a free emergency hotline service is one way to support pregnant and postpartum people and their families seeking infant feeding advice, supplies, and support in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

Asunto(s)