Disaster, public health, and panic buying

ABSTRACT

Panic buying is one of the various sporadic and unexpected human behaviours which was prominently witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic globally. In light of various man-made and natural calamities, food and various other household products for survival are more essential for people. Thus, stockpiling or panic buying becomes significant. This chapter presents panic buying during a public health disaster and public health response, along with the triggers as well as intervention strategies. The relation between disaster preparedness and panic buying is also marked in this chapter. A combination of elements such as policy changes, wars, rumours, curfew, price hike perception, coping behaviours, socio-psychological factors, and, moreover, the role of media had added to panic buying. How these elements had taken part in the expansion of stockpiling behaviour is also addressed. This chapter also comments on different controlling measures including behavioural and public health interventions and how the government or the public health authorities should incorporate the policies in reducing panic buying behaviour among their emergency response plans. In addition, the importance of communication between the public and the public health authorities or government officials is also sketched in this chapter. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)