Children and Disasters

The implementation of disaster preparedness training integration model based on Public Health Nursing (ILATGANA-PHN) to increase community capacity in natural disaster-prone areas

Indonesia is at high risk of disasters. Therefore, nursing is expected to play a role in disaster risk reductions in communities. This study aimed to implement the Disaster Preparedness Training Integration Model based on Public Health Nursing (ILATGANA-PHN) to increase the Capacity of community in natural disaster-prone areas by assessing the preparedness level of families and communities in disaster-prone areas. The research method was developed in two stages, including the model preparation stage and the model implementation stage. This research was in the 2nd stage, namely the model impelementation stage. The research design, at the model implementation stage, used the one-sample pre-post test without control group design. The respondents were assessed before and after the ILATGANA-PHN training intervention. The sample size was calculated using the sample size calculation formula for the experimental research design without controls. The samples of the study were 78 people. The result of the research described the ILATGANA-PHN training concepts, including the instrument, curriculum, process, module, and maintenance patterns for the training process. The intervention had a significant effect on increasing the independent preparedness of the people in Kendeng Community, Sugih Mukti Village (ƿ 0.000 ≤ 0.005) in terms of four preparedness parameters, namely knowledge and attitudes about disasters (KA), disaster preparedness plans (PE), disaster warnings (WS), and resource mobilization community (RMC). Nurses have the opportunity to take responsibilities for empowering the community capacity in the disaster area through the implementation of ILATGANA-PHN training. The integrated training model for disaster preparedness based on Public Health Nursing (ILATGANA-PHN) is effective in increasing the community capacity, especially in disaster managements, in disaster-prone areas.

Children's Psychological Reactions to Wildfires: a Review of Recent Literature

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review aims to synthesize currently available literature regarding the impact of wildfire on mental health, specifically the psychological reactions of children to wildfires. The information gathered from this review will help health experts understand and address the mental health needs of children during wildfire disasters and may serve as a base for future studies to evaluate evidence-based public health responses to mitigate adverse outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

The results identified post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, stress, alcohol/substance misuse, hopelessness, low resilience, reduced quality of life, and self-esteem as the psychological conditions manifesting in children and adolescent post-wildfire disaster. PTSD was the most evaluated psychological reaction in the participants (7 out of eight studies). This review highlights that deleterious mental health effects, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and suicidality, can persist in children for years post-wildfire disaster. Factors such as gender, direct exposure to the wildfire, re-traumatization, and resilience informed or ameliorated the severity of the impact of wildfire on children and adolescents. Our findings further emphasize the need for multi-year funding and programs to support children and adolescents' mental health, including children with disabilities in the communities that have experienced wildfire disasters.

CEO's Childhood Experience of Natural Disaster and CSR Activities

Interest in the drivers of firms' corporate social responsibility (CSR) is growing. However, little is known about the influence of a CEO's childhood experience of natural disasters on CSR. Using archival data, we explore this relationship by offering three mechanisms that may account for how the CEO's childhood experience of natural disaster is related to their CSR. More specifically, while prior research has established a positive relationship based on the post-traumatic growth theory, we show that the dual mechanisms of prosocial values and a CEO's risk aversion explain the positive relationship. We further find that the positive relationship is stronger (1) when CEOs have longer career horizons and (2) when community social capital is high. This study contributes to both research and managerial implications on the topics of CEO's childhood experience and CSR. In particular, this study advances the upper echelon theory by revealing that a CEO's childhood experience of natural disaster is a useful yet relatively underexplored variable that can help explain the substantial variations in firms' CSR. Moreover, we emphasize that a CEO's career horizons and level of community social capital are important variables that further amplify the effect of a CEO's childhood experience of natural disaster on the firm's CSR commitment.

Reflections on implementing the Sendai Framework in the Asia-Pacific: beyond adding disability inclusion to disaster risk reduction

Following the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, an increasing number of disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction (DiDRR) projects have been implemented by disaster risk reduction (DRR) organisations together with organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs). Yet, as this paper argues, the general approach of DiDRR is still predominantly based on a DRR perspective. Consequently, the OPDs involved in DiDRR often include additional project components to address their broader issues while also implementing DRR. This paper draws on the experiences of two pioneer DiDRR programmes: the Community Resilience Programme in the Philippines from 2015-18; and the Putting Sendai Framework into Action programme in the Asia-Pacific from 2017-20. It outlines the differences between the viewpoints of DRR organisations and OPDs on implementing DiDRR. In conclusion, the paper suggests that DiDRR initiatives should accommodate the broader disability issues raised by OPDs to achieve more meaningful disability inclusion in DRR.

Contamination level, source identification and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in drinking water sources of mining and non-mining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Accelerated mining activities have increased water contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and their associated human health risk in developing countries. The current study investigated the distribution of PTEs, their potential sources and health risk assessment in both ground and surface water sources in mining and non-mining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Water samples (n = 150) were taken from selected sites and were analyzed for six PTEs (Ni, Cr, Zn, Cu, Pb and Mn). Among PTEs, Cr showed a high mean concentration (497) μg L^-1, followed by Zn (414) μg L^-1 in the mining area, while Zn showed the lowest mean value (4.44) μg L^-1 in non-mining areas. Elevated concentrations of Ni, Cr and a moderate level of Pb in ground and surface water of Mohmand District exceeded the permissible limits set by WHO. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that the pollution sources of PTEs were mainly from mafic-ultramafic rocks, acid mine drainage, open dumping of mine wastes and mine tailings. The hazard quotient (HQ) was the highest for children relative to that for adults, but not higher than the USEPA limits. The hazard index (HI) for ingestions of all selected PTEs was lower than the threshold value (HI_ing < 1), except for Mohmand District, which showed a value of HI >1 in mining areas through ingestion. Moreover, the carcinogenic risk (CR) values exceeded the threshold limits for Ni and Cr set by the USEPA (1.0E-04-1.0E-06). In order to protect the drinking water sources of the study areas from further contamination, management techniques and policy for mining operations need to be implemented.

Eighteen Months of COVID-19 Pandemic Through the Lenses of Self or Others: A Meta-Analysis on Children and Adolescents' Mental Health

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic can have a serious impact on children and adolescents' mental health. We focused on studies exploring its traumatic effects on young people in the first 18 months after that the pandemic was declared, distinguishing them also according to the type of informants (self-report and other-report instruments).

Objective

We applied a meta-analytic approach to examine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and psychological distress among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering the moderating role of kind of disorder and/or symptom, type of instrument, and continent.

Method

We used PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus databases to identify articles on the COVID-19 pandemic, applying the following filters: participants until 20 years of age, peer-review, English as publication language. Inclusion required investigating the occurrence of disorders and/or symptoms during the first 18 months of the pandemic. The search identified 26 publications.

Results

The meta-analysis revealed that the pooled prevalence of psychological disorders and/or symptoms for children and adolescents, who were not affected by mental health disturbances before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, was .20, 95% CI [.16, .23]. Moreover, we found a moderating role of type of instrument: occurrence was higher for self-report compared to other-report instruments.

Conclusions

The study presented an analysis of the psychological consequences for children and adolescents of the exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, soliciting further research to identify factors underlying resilience. Notwithstanding limitations such as the small number of eligible articles and the fact that we did not examine the role of further characteristics of the studies (such as participants' age or design), this meta-analysis is a first step for future research documenting the impact of such an unexpected and devastating disaster like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mapping structural covariance networks in children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder after earthquake

For children and adolescents, there is a high risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after suffering from catastrophic events. Previous studies have identified brain functionally and subcortical brain volumes structurally abnormalities in this population. However, up till now, researches exploring alterations of regional cortical thickness (CTh) and brain interregional structural covariance networks (SCNs) are scarce. In this cross-sectional study, CTh measures are derived from 3-Tesla Tl-weighted MRI imaging data in a well-characterized combined group of children and adolescents with PTSD after an earthquake (N = 35) and a traumatized healthy control group (N = 24). By using surface-based morphometry (SBM) techniques, the regional CTh analysis was conducted. To map interregional SCNs derived from CTh, twenty-five altered brain regions reported in the PTSD population were selected as seeds. Whole-brain SBM analysis discovered a significant thickness reduction in the left medial orbitofrontal cortex for the subjects with PTSD. Similarly, analysis of SCNs associated with "seed" regions primarily located in default mode network (DMN), midline cortex structures, motor cortex, auditory association cortex, limbic system, and visual cortex demonstrated that children and adolescents with PTSD are associated with altered structural covariance with six key regions. This study provides evidence for distinct CTh correlates of PTSD that are present across children and adolescents, suggesting that brain cortical abnormalities related to trauma exposure are present in this population, probably by driving specific symptom clusters associated with disrupted extinction recall mechanisms for fear, episodic memory network and visuospatial attention.

Wildfire impacts on education and healthcare: Paradise, California, after the Camp Fire

The 2018 Camp Fire caused significant damages to the education and healthcare systems in the town of Paradise, CA. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative case study about disaster impacts and disparities, interdependencies, and recovery strategies of schools and hospitals in Paradise. Four major themes of findings emerged from the qualitative analysis of interviews with teachers, counselors, and administrators in Paradise education and healthcare systems and extensive archival research. First, complex and long-standing mental health challenges are the dominant impact on the educational system. Second, educational and healthcare impacts are shaped by social vulnerability. Third, educational and healthcare systems play a critical role for recovery of socially vulnerable groups due to the interconnectedness of community components. Fourth, adapting to new communication norms and technologies is effective for supporting educational and community recovery. Several specific recommendations are provided based on the findings for building back more resilient and equitable education and healthcare services.

School-Based Education Programs for Preparing Children for Natural Hazards: A Systematic Review

Schools have a significant role in disaster education to children. This study investigates the research works about school-based education programs in order to discover challenges and best practices. We conducted a systematic review of English language papers published in peer-review journals.The search identified 2577 publications and 61 articles meeting selection criteria and included in the review. Reviewed studies indicated that disaster education in schools is effective but yet insufficient in many countries. Lack of equipment, financial resources, policy gaps, and teachers' knowledge are common problems in programs. Main outcomes of this systematic review are showing methods used for health emergency preparedness of children of different ages and gender differences in school-based disaster preparedness, as well as the difference in their lifesaving skills in disasters.This study shows that some disaster education programs reported in the papers reviewed were not high-quality enough, which may lead to insufficient preparedness of children in disasters and consequently may put their health at risk, considering the increasing number of natural hazards.

The Association between Child and Parent Psychiatric Disorders in Families Exposed to Flood and/or Dioxin

Associations of disaster mental health sequelae between children and their parents have been demonstrated, but not using full diagnostic assessment. This study examined children and their parents after a series of disasters in 1982 to investigate associations of their psychiatric outcomes. Members of 169 families exposed to floods and/or dioxin or no disaster were assessed in 1986–1987 with structured diagnostic interviews. This vintage dataset collected several decades ago provides new information to this field because of the methodological rigor that is unparalleled in this literature. Disaster-related PTSD and incident postdisaster disorders in children were associated, respectively with disaster-related PTSD and incident postdisaster disorders in the chief caregiver and mother. More flood-only than dioxin-only exposed parents reported great harm by the disaster, but neither children nor parents in these two groups differed in incident psychiatric disorders. Although this study did not determine the direction of causal influences, its findings suggest that clinicians working with disaster-exposed families should work with children and adult members together, as their mental health outcomes may be intertwined.

Psychological outcomes for young adults after disastrous events: A mixed-methods scoping review

RATIONALE

Young adulthood (18 to 34) is a time of transitional change where individuals can be highly susceptible to mental health concerns. Despite similar vulnerabilities to their adolescent counterparts, the psychological outcomes for young adults following disasters are not well understood.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aimed to explore the literature on the psychological outcomes for young adults after disaster events.

METHODS

A systematic search of the literature was conducted in seven electronic databases, including PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, PILOTS, EMBASE, Scopus, and ProQuest dissertations and theses global. In total, 91 reports from 15 countries were included.

RESULTS

Findings suggested that young adults experience a range of psychological consequences after disasters, including posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, anxiety, and other psychological outcomes, such as general/non-specific psychological distress. Pre-disaster, peri-disaster, and post-disaster factors were also found to influence the degree of psychological outcomes experienced by young adults, including prior psychological functioning and disaster exposure, among a host of other factors.

CONCLUSION

Future research is recommended to better understand young adults' psychological outcomes, experiences, and service needs following disasters.

Multisystem Resilience for Children and Youth in Disaster: Reflections in the Context of COVID-19

In the context of rising disasters worldwide and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, this commentary considers the implications of findings in resilience science on children and youth for disaster preparation and response. The multisystem challenges posed by disasters are illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the significance of disasters in the history of resilience science and the emergence of a unifying systems definition of resilience. Principles of a multisystem perspective on resilience and major findings on what matters for young people in disasters are delineated with reference to the pandemic. Striking parallels are noted in the psychosocial resilience factors identified at the level of individual children, families, schools, and communities. These parallels suggest that adaptive capacities associated with resilience in these interacting systems reflect interconnected networks and processes that co-evolved and may operate in concert. As resilience science moves toward integrated theory, knowledge, and applications in practice, particularly in disaster risk reduction and resilience promotion, more focus will be needed on multisystem and multidisciplinary research, communication, training, and planning.

Health risk assessments of arsenic and toxic heavy metal exposure in drinking water in northeast Iran

BACKGROUND

Arsenic and heavy metals are the main cause of water pollution and impact human health worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to assess the probable health risk (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk) for adults and children that are exposed to arsenic and toxic heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cr, and Hg) through ingestion and dermal contact with drinking water.

METHOD

In this study, chemical analysis and testing were conducted on 140 water samples taken from treated drinking water in Mashhad, Iran. The health risk assessments were evaluated using hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and lifetime cancer risk (CR).

RESULTS

The results of the HQ values of arsenic and heavy metals for combined pathways were below the safety level (HQ < 1) for adults, while the HI for children were higher than the safety limit in some stations. Likewise, Cr showed the highest average contribution of HItotal elements (55 to 71.2%) for adult and children population. The average values of total carcinogenic risk (TCR) through exposure to drinking water for children and adults were 1.33 × 10-4 and 7.38 × 10-5, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the CRtotal through exposure to drinking water for children and adults was borderline or higher than the safety level of US EPA risk, suggesting the probability of carcinogenic risk for the children and adults to the carcinogenic elements via ingestion and dermal routes. Therefore, appropriate purification improvement programs and control measures should be implemented to protect the health of the residents in this metropolitan city.

An Evaluation of the Literacy Demands of Online Natural Disaster Preparedness Materials for Families

OBJECTIVE

Natural disasters are becoming increasingly common, but it is unclear whether families can comprehend and use available resources to prepare for such emergencies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the literacy demands of risk communication materials on natural disasters for US families with children.

METHODS

In January 2018, we assessed 386 online self-directed learning resources related to emergency preparedness for natural disasters using 5 literacy assessment tools. Assessment scores were compared by information source, audience type, and disaster type.

RESULTS

One-in-three websites represented government institutions, and 3/4 were written for a general audience. Nearly 1-in-5 websites did not specify a disaster type. Assessment scores suggest a mismatch between the general population's literacy levels and literacy demands of materials in the areas of readability, complexity, suitability, web usability, and overall audience appropriateness. Materials required more years of education beyond the grade level recommended by prominent health organizations. Resources for caregivers of children generally and children with special health care needs possessed lower literacy demands than materials overall, for most assessment tools.

CONCLUSIONS

Risk communication and public health agencies could better align the literacy demands of emergency preparedness materials with the literacy capabilities of the general public.

ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD amongst Syrian refugees in Lebanon: the factor structure and the clinical utility of the International Trauma Questionnaire

OBJECTIVE

Support for ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) is growing; however, few studies include refugees or examine the clinical utility of PTSD/CPTSD classifications. This study sought to provide the first evaluations of (i) the factor structure of ICD-11 PTSD/CPTSD amongst refugees in the Middle East; and (ii) the clinical utility of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) to identify PTSD/CPTSD in a humanitarian context.

METHOD

Participants were 112 treatment-seeking Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. Factorial validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on responses to the ITQ. Clinical utility of the ITQ was assessed through semi-structured interviews with six Lebanese psychotherapists.

RESULTS

Complex PTSD (36.1%) was more common than PTSD (25.2%), and no sex or age differences were observed at the prevalence or symptomatic levels. CFA results supported a two-factor higher-order model consistent with ICD-11 PTSD/CPTSD. Qualitative findings indicated that the ITQ is generally positively regarded, with some limitations and suggested modifications noted.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to support the ICD-11 PTSD/CPTSD amongst refugees in the Middle East and the clinical utility of the ITQ in a humanitarian context. Findings support the growing evidence for the cross-cultural applicability of ICD-11 PTSD/CPTSD.

Trajectories of School Recovery After a Natural Disaster: Risk and Protective Factors

Disasters may have significant and lasting impacts on educational programs and academic achievement, yet the examination of differing patterns of school recovery after disasters is understudied. This paper focused on two aims: (i) identification of school academic recovery trajectories; and (ii) examination of potential risk factors associated with these trajectories. We used latent class growth analysis to identify school academic recovery trajectories for a cohort of 462 Texas public schools that were in the path of Hurricane Ike in 2008. Using Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) data from 2005 to 2011, we found that attendance and percent of economically disadvantaged youth emerged as significant risk factors for two identified academic recovery trajectories (High‐Stable and Low‐Interrupted). Higher levels of economically disadvantaged youth were associated with lower likelihood of falling in the High‐Stable trajectory, relative to the Low‐Interrupted trajectory. Higher levels of attendance were associated with higher likelihood of membership in the High‐Stable trajectory, relative to the Low‐Interrupted trajectory. These findings are consistent with the notion that disasters do not affect all people or communities equally. Findings highlight the need for policy initiatives that focus on low performing schools, as these schools are at highest risk for adverse outcomes post‐disaster.