Long-term psychological effects of natural disasters

Abstract

Relationships between self-reported psychological distress (Symptom Checklist) and experience with two earthquakes are presented for a group of male factor workers (N = 772) from Naples, Italy, participating in the 1987 follow-up of the Olivetti Heart Study. Although all were exposed to the 1980 earthquake that racked southern Italy, only men residing in the Naples suburb of Pozzuoli experienced the continuing swarm of earthquakes ("bradyseism") of 1983-1984, allowing for the observation of a "natural experiment" of sorts. Levels of psychological distress were found to be higher 7 years after the first earthquake for those men who reported damage from that earthquake. Overall, findings were similar for those who were evacuated, or suffered financial loss from the 1983-1984 bradyseism earthquakes. Stratification by 1980 earthquake damage revealed that 1983-1984 evacuation or financial loss was associated with increased distress reporting only for those men who had not reported damage from the 1980 earthquake. Overall, however, distress scores tended to be higher for men evacuated in 1983-1984 if they had also reported damage from the prior earthquake (only the F ratio for anxiety reached criterion for statistical significance). These findings suggest that the psychological consequences of earthquake exposure are long lasting and seem to be related to the consequences of the earthquake in terms of damage/loss.