Co-sponsored by Dartmouth College and the National Center for PTSD·White River Junction, Vermont

REDMH

Research Education in Disaster Mental Health

Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, July 2003 (historical record — the project is not active)

General Summaries :: Effects

GENERAL SUMMARYPOSTED MARCH 2005PDF DOCUMENT 823KB, NOT ARCHIVED


Range, Magnitude, and Duration of the Effects of
Disasters on Mental Health: Review Update 2005
Fran H. Norris
Dartmouth Medical School and National Center for PTSD
ABSTRACT

In 2002, my colleagues and I published an empirical review of the disaster literature that presented results for 160 samples that were coded as to sample type, disaster type, disaster location, outcomes observed, and overall severity of impairment. Here, I present an update of this review, now based on 225 samples and 132 events. Outcomes included PTSD, depression, anxiety, nonspecific distress, and health problems. Regression analyses showed that samples were most likely to be affected severely if they were from developing countries or experienced mass violence (e.g., terrorism, shooting sprees). Most samples of rescue and recovery workers showed remarkable resilience. (Review posted to www.redmh.org March 2005.)

Download Effects of Disasters paper here (PDF document- 823KB)