Post-flood social support networks and morbidity in Jôsô City, Japan

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 271; pp. 708 - 714
• Main Authors: Lebowitz, Adam, Tachikawa, Hirokazu, Aiba, Miyuki, Okamoto, Yuta, Takahashi, Sho, Nemoto, Kiyotaka, Arai, Tetsuaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01-01-2019
• Subjects: Depression; Disasters; Psychological; Psychosocial support systems; Stress; Psychological; Depression; Disasters; Psychosocial support systems; Stress
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.11.073

•Global warming has increased frequency of river flooding from extreme weather.•Disaster survivors can suffer mentally from depression and stress.•Social support can help post-disaster mental health, but effects are complex.•Support source, and providing or receiving support can have different effects.•Understanding support network complexity can help future disaster planning.
Social support networks are considered beneficial for post-disaster survivor mental health. However, there are family and non-family networks, and support can be received or provided. Therefore, their complex contribution to wellbeing requires analysis. Researching elderly residents of Jôsô City NE of Tokyo (N = 1182 [female: n = 618], Age M = 69.76y, SD = 6.10y) who experienced severe flooding in September 2015 investigated data for mental health outcomes of depression (K6), trauma (IES-R), and existence of recent worry from evacuation and house damage. An original instrument tapped support source and direction, controlled to examine mental health symptom changes. House damage was a higher mental health predictor (ηp2 = .10–.16) than evacuation (ηp2 = .033–.093). Results indicated family social support may buffer mental health outcomes, but non-family social support may burden them. Overall support network size also indicated burdening compared to social support receiving-providing imbalance.