A Study of Resilience amongst people who have lost their relatives in a natural calamity: a study from Uttarakhand in Northern India
Journal Title: INDIAN JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH - Year 2018, Vol 5, Issue 3
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Natural disasters can be a devastating experience for anyone. Mental disorders are common amongst survivors of natural disasters. Resilience is a significant factor that helps these survivors overcome this traumatic episode. In this study, we attempt to examine whether the level of resilience differs with nature of loss, in this case a natural calamity. Resilience is one attribute that helps an individual recover from a disastrous event and allows them to bounce back. It may determine the level of psychological stress in an individual because resilience is in fact a protective factor and individual with high resilience may have lesser degree of psychological stress. Resilience's has a strong neurobiological basis and also independent psychobiological construct. Methods: Trained research officers in mental health from Mumbai went and stayed in the affected region and arranged for local psychiatric help prior to starting the study. Consenting subjects participated. Clinical details, level of resilience; psychological stress, life events and effect of trauma were assessed between two groups of subjects. Results: The level of resilience was low and closely related to psychopathology in both the group of survivors. Individuals who had lost their relatives showed relatively very poor resilience, (CD-RISK 20.61 (SD 8.33) vs. 40.57 (SD 13), p=>0.01); had high levels of stress (GHQ, 27.44 (SD 3.82) vs. 23.36 (SD 5.44), p=0.001). Need for high social support (11 (SD 30.5) vs. 2 (SD 7.1) p=0.021) did not express any significantly higher requirement for financial support. Level of resilience was negatively correlated with experience of adverse life event in previous year and number of relatives lost. Conclusion: Resilience is a personal characteristic, which is severely affected with experience of disaster. Individuals who were already vulnerable suffered the most. People who had lost relatives showed very poor level of personal strength and need for better social support and specific psychological intervention.
Authors and Affiliations
Chetan Lokhande, Nilesh Mohite, Reetika Dikshit, Pragya Lodha, Avinash De Sousa
Keywords
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- EP ID EP407460
- DOI 10.30877/IJMH.5.3.2018.349-354
- Views 75
- Downloads 0
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