Impact of average household income and damage exposure on post‐earthquake distress and functioning: A community study following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety symptoms are common outcomes following earthquakes, and may persist for months and years. This study systematically examined the impact of neighbourhood damage exposure and average household income on psychological distress and functioning in 600 residents of Christchurch, New Zealand, 4-6 months after the fatal February, 2011 earthquake. Participants were from highly affected and relatively unaffected suburbs in low, medium and high average household income areas. The assessment battery included the Acute Stress Disorder Scale, the depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), along with single item measures of substance use, earthquake damage and impact, and disruptions in daily life and relationship functioning. Controlling for age, gender and social isolation, participants from low income areas were more likely to meet diagnostic cut-offs for depression and anxiety, and have more severe anxiety symptoms. Higher probabilities of acute stress, depression and anxiety diagnoses were evident in affected versus unaffected areas, and those in affected areas had more severe acute stress, depression and anxiety symptoms. An interaction between income and earthquake effect was found for depression, with those from the low and medium income affected suburbs more depressed. Those from low income areas were more likely, post-earthquake, to start psychiatric medication and increase smoking. There was a uniform increase in alcohol use across participants. Those from the low income affected suburb had greater general and relationship disruption post-quake. Average household income and damage exposure made unique contributions to earthquake-related distress and dysfunction.

Earthquake Aftershock Anxiety: An Examination of Psychosocial Contributing Factors and Symptomatic Outcomes

“…Responses to functioning in the first four areas were averaged to obtain a score for disruptions in general life functioning ('general functioning'), while the latter three were averaged to get a score for disruptions to relationship functioning ('relationship functioning'). Breaking the items in this way was confirmed by factor analysis (See Dorahy et al, 2015).…”

“…For each of these affected suburbs a matched suburb based on demographic variables (e.g., number of people in suburb, their average age and gender) and socioeconomic level was found that was relatively unaffected by the earthquake. These three suburbs experienced less overall damage to homes and properties and had minimal loss of utilities (see Dorahy et al, 2015). …”

“…Work following the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand, earthquakes found community-level (e.g., neighborhood damage; socioeconomic status of suburb) and individual-level (e.g., disruption and loss caused by earthquakes) variables were important in the prediction of post-earthquake psychological symptoms and psychosocial functioning (Dorahy & Kannis-Dymand, 2012;Dorahy et al, 2015). For example, suburbs with different levels of earthquake damage and different levels of financial resources had different degrees of earthquake-related disruption and loss, and these variables had varying influences on post-earthquake symptoms and functioning.…”

Effects of socioeconomic factors on cardiovascular-related symptoms among residents in Fukushima after the Great East Japan Earthquake: a cross-sectional study using data from the Fukushima Health Management Survey

“…26 Another study showed that 6 months after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand, on average lower income per home contributed unequivocally to earthquake-related distress and dysfunction. 27 A recent study also showed that 6 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake tsunami experience, property loss and poverty were associated with PTSD in patients with cardiovascular disease and had an adverse prognostic impact. 24 This study showed that living in evacuation shelters or temporary housing, rather than one's own home, was associated with exacerbation of all the examined cardiovascular symptoms, and the statistical results were more robust in women than in men.…”

“…Low income may be considered a chronic stressor, increasing psychological distress as a result of limited access to resources and opportunities for accumulation of resources. 27 Previous studies have shown that, following an earthquake, living in a low-income area may contribute to greater psychological distress due to a lack of occupational, social and financial resources. A community study revealed that, after the Christchurch earthquake, low household income contributed strongly to earthquake-related distress.…”