Psychological effects of the 2017 California wildfires on children and youth with disabilities.

The psychological effects of disasters on children with disabilities are understudied, despite evidence towards increased risk for complications after other types of trauma exposure. This study investigated the experience of children and youth with disabilities exposed to the 2017 Northern California wildfires, with a particular focus on psychological reactions. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of 14 children and youth with disabilities one year post-disaster. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews. Parents described the wildfires as traumatic events for both themselves and their children. Children and youth exhibited stress, grief, and other emotional and behavioral reactions during evacuation, in the immediate aftermath, and one year post-disaster. Navigating disability-related needs, such as accessible housing, contributed to parent stress post-disaster. School and community-based mental health efforts are described, along with a call for increased attention to disaster-related reactions in children with developmental disabilities. Suggestions for improving preparedness and response efforts that better support children with disabilities and their families post-disaster are given.

Designing and developing a disaster resource directory: A case example.

Access to accurate, up-to-date information about resources and services is essential if survivors are to recover following disasters. Emergency managers need information about community resources to effectively plan for the recovery phase. Long-term recovery committees and case managers rely on resource directories to design recovery plans with survivors. This article describes a replicable approach used to swiftly create and maintain an online resource directory for individuals with disabilities following Hurricane Harvey.

The association of adverse mental health effects with repeated exposure to disasters.

BACKGROUND: It has been assumed that the mental health effects of repeated trauma should be incrementally greater than simple additive effects of separate trauma. However, repeated disasters afflicting the same population are uncommon. This study investigated psychiatric disorders following differential exposures to repeated disasters. METHODS: Mental health effects of exposure to repeated disasters of 547 individuals exposed to either flooding, tornadoes, dioxin contamination, and/or radioactive well water were assessed. Structured diagnostic interviews assessed prevalence of psychiatric disorders before and after each of the disasters. A multiple logistic regression model was used to test the association of post-disaster disorders after each flood with the total number of flood exposures, controlling for lifetime pre-disaster disorders. RESULTS: Approximately one-fifth to one-third of the disaster-exposed groups had a psychiatric disorder following exposure to disaster, but disaster-related posttraumatic stress disorder and incident psychiatric disorders were nonexistent or rare in both post-disaster periods. Most identified post-disaster psychopathology consisted of alcohol use that predated the disasters. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that alcohol use disorder may be more representative of a risk factor for, rather than an outcome of, flood exposure. This possibility is supported by the high lifetime pre-flood prevalence of alcohol use disorders in flood plain populations.

Addressing the Needs of Children With Disabilities Experiencing Disaster or Terrorism.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This paper reviews the empirical literature on psychosocial factors relating to children with disabilities in the context of disaster or terrorism. RECENT FINDINGS: Research indicates adults with disabilities experience increased exposure to hazards due to existing social disparities and barriers associated with disability status. However, studies on the psychological effects of disaster/terrorism on children with pre-existing disabilities are exceedingly few and empirical evidence of the effectiveness of trauma-focused therapies for this population is limited. Secondary adversities, including social stigma and health concerns, also compromise the recovery of these children post-disaster/terrorism. Schools and teachers appear to be particularly important in the recovery of children with disabilities from disaster. Disasters, terrorism, and war all contribute to increased incidence of disability, as well as disproportionately affect children with pre-existing disabilities. Disaster preparedness interventions and societal changes are needed to decrease the disproportionate environmental and social vulnerability of children with disabilities to disaster and terrorism.

Barriers to the long-term recovery of individuals with disabilities following a disaster.

This study examines how pre-existing disabling conditions influenced the recovery process of survivors of Hurricane Katrina. It focuses specifically on the barriers that hindered the recovery process in these individuals. Focus groups were convened in four Gulf Coast states with 31 individuals with disabilities who lived in or around New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Qualitative data were analysed using grounded theory methodology. Five themes emerged as the most significant barriers to recovery: housing; transportation; employment; physical and mental health; and accessing recovery services. While these barriers to recovery were probably common to most survivors of the disaster, the research results suggest that disability status enhanced the challenges that participants experienced in negotiating the recovery process and in acquiring resources that accommodated their disabilities. The findings indicate that, when disaster recovery services and resources did not accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities, recovery was hindered. Recovery efforts should include building accessible infrastructure and services that will allow for participation by all.

Disaster case management and individuals with disabilities.

PURPOSE: To examine the case management and disaster recovery needs of individuals with disabilities following Hurricane Katrina. The case managers and supervisors in this study provided case management to individuals with disabilities as part of the largest coordinated disaster case management program in U.S. history, the Katrina Aid Today consortium. This study provides an account of the disaster case management needs of individuals with disabilities as well as a picture of their long-term recovery process two years following the disaster. DESIGN: Forty-two case managers and 12 case management supervisors from this program provided services to a collective caseload of 2,047 individuals with disabilities and their families. Interviews and telephone surveys were conducted with these participants 20-24 months after the disaster. The qualitative data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology, and descriptive statistics summarize the demographic data. RESULTS: Findings suggest that the disaster recovery process is typically more complex and lengthy for individuals with disabilities and requires negotiation of a service system sometimes unprepared for disability-related needs. Barriers to disaster recovery for individuals with disabilities included a lack of accessible housing, transportation, and disaster services. Supports to disaster recovery included the individual effort and advocacy of a case manager, connecting with needed resources, collaboration with other agencies, and client motivation and persistence. IMPLICATIONS: Results suggest that disaster recovery is facilitated by case managers with disability expertise, including knowledge about the needs of individuals with disabilities and about disability-related services.

Children with disabilities in the context of disaster: a social vulnerability perspective.

An estimated 200 million children worldwide experience various forms of disability. This critical review extrapolates from existing literature in 2 distinct areas of scholarship: one on individuals with disabilities in disaster, and the other on children in disaster. The extant literature suggests that various factors may contribute to the physical, psychological, and educational vulnerability of children with disabilities in disaster, including higher poverty rates, elevated risk exposure, greater vulnerability to traumatic loss or separation from caregivers, more strain on parents, and poor postdisaster outcomes, unless medical, familial, social, and educational protections are in place and vital social networks are quickly reestablished. Future research needs are outlined in the conclusion.