Community-informed strategies to address trauma and enhance resilience in climate-affected communities.

Abstract

Trauma from natural disasters affects hurricane-impacted populations with accelerating frequency and often recurrently as a result of climate change. Policy guidance to support community resilience has emerged to mitigate trauma to populations facing disaster and climate change risk, but the guidance itself may be met with mistrust due to historic and recurrent government failures to support traumatized, hurricane-affected communities. The aim of the Community Resilience Learning Collaborative and Research Network study is to address trauma and improve community resilience in response to disaster and climate change-related events in South Louisiana. Key informant interviews from 47 communitybased organizations across New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Coastal Louisiana were analyzed and compared with the Key Messages of the 4th National Climate Assessment to determine efficient strategies for building resilience. Community-based organization interviewees emphasized the importance of organizing community-led coalitions and partnerships, implementing trauma-informed care in schools and health care settings, providing infrastructures and educational resources to navigate housing and financial barriers, and creating dialogue to better understand and accept climate change. The strategies revealed in the key informant interviews will be used to design the agency-level coalitionbuilding interventions of Community Resilience Learning Collaborative and Research Network.

A Rapid Assessment of Disaster Preparedness Needs and Resources during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The C-LEARN study completed Phase 1 [ 32 , 33 ], agency recruitment for Phase 2, and intervention training and implementation. Participant recruitment was initiated, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted individual participant recruitment shortly after being initiated.…”

A Rapid Assessment of Disaster Preparedness Needs and Resources during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Analysis of the data obtained from the semi-structured interviews followed a protocol embedded in a procedure for conducting rapid assessments known as Rapid Assessment Procedures-Informed Community Ethnography (RAPICE), an adaptation of Rapid Assessment Procedures-Informed Clinical Ethnography [33]. In this instance, rather than conduct research in settings where trained clinicians were involved in collecting ethnographic data, we involved community leaders who were members of the C-LEARN Leadership Council to participate in the data analysis components of the RAPICE methodology.…”

Addressing the climate crisis: An action plan for psychologists (summary).

“…Psychologists’ work on adaptation includes immediate counseling and support for people who have experienced disasters, extreme heat, migration, and other consequences of climate change, as well as counseling for climate-related distress (eco-anxiety) and longer term treatment of conditions—such as mental health symptoms, substance misuse, academic problems, interpersonal conflicts, and violence—that are more likely to occur or worsen because of climate change (Baudon & Jachens, 2021; Clayton et al, 2021; Coffey et al, 2021; Ingle & Mikulewicz, 2020; Monsell et al, 2021; Pihkala, 2020; Suh et al, 2021). Psychologists may also work to prevent such conditions by implementing school and community programs to build people’s socioemotional skills, resilience, and empowerment (Doppelt, 2016; Everett et al, 2020; Ntontis et al, 2020). In addition, psychologists can help people manage the psychological and behavioral aspects of physical health conditions that can arise from climate (Santos et al, 2021).…”

“…Further, psychologists can help individuals and communities prepare for climate change impacts and prevent or reduce distress by supporting them in building their psychological and social resilience (Clayton et al, 2021; Doppelt, 2016; Everett et al, 2020). Resilience encompasses elements such as positive attitudes, a sense of meaning or purpose, coping and self-regulation skills, self-efficacy, social connections, community cohesion, practical preparations for disasters and other climate impacts, and taking productive action on climate change.…”