As seen most recently with the Los Angeles wildfires, natural disasters are becoming an inevitable part of life causing devastation and ongoing trauma for many people.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is common following a natural disaster, affecting up to 40 percent of survivors, yet positive responses to trauma - called post-traumatic growth - is also common.
Post-traumatic growth is an increase in personal strength, appreciation for life, spiritual change, new possibilities and relating to others.
How people recover from trauma, including that stemmed from natural disasters, often relies on the support of their social networks and communities.
PhD candidate Natalie Craig from The University of Queensland’s School of Psychology led research into the topic, aiming to understand how people harness their social networks after a natural disaster, and how it impacts their recovery.
The researchers surveyed 210 people who were affected by the 2022 Eastern Australian floods, a climate-related event that killed 23 people and damaged more that 25,000 homes and businesses.
“The groups in our lives can be particularly important during a natural disaster, as they can provide physical, material and emotional support that can help people to recover,” Ms Craig said.
“When groups are positive and meaningful to us, they help to provide a sense of identity, self-esteem, self-worth and self-efficacy.”
Natural disasters can be a major disrupter to a person’s established social network, and this can impact their recovery.
In some instances, people may have to move away after a disaster resulting in a loss of support for their connections who stayed. Others may feel disconnected from their social groups, for example, those who may not have been directly impacted by the disaster..
Ms Craig said that forming new, meaningful connections following a traumatic event can be incredibly important.
“Our research found that the new social connections made following an event had a positive impact on post-disaster recovery,” Ms Craig said.
“This is because developing new social connections can enable access to new sources of support that can help during periods of adversity.
“People can develop new social connections by joining new groups. This could include, for example, becoming part of a volunteering network in their community, or finding other ways to connect with new people in the area. “It’s important for people to not only maintain their current social networks, but also to create meaningful new connections to help support wellbeing in the aftermath of the disaster.
“Developing new social connections after a natural disaster can help people to reappraise their trauma in ways that allow them to thrive, and this can promote post-traumatic growth.
“Recovery from natural disaster truly is a community effort.”
The research is published in Environment and Behaviour.
