Learning from Historic Disaster Response: Reviewing Old Lessons on Disaster Mental Health

Abstract

This paper reanalyzes the 1974 Xenia, OH (U.S.) tornado in comparison to the 2013 Moore tornado in light of current theories of disaster mental health and emergency planning and operation. It argues that prior conclusions can be reinterpreted as theoretical perspectives shift. Utilizing archival materials from the 1974 Xenia tornado and original fieldwork following the 2013 Moore, OK (U.S.) tornado, researchers examined 23 boxes of primary documents and interview material and corroborated their understanding of the archival data with the original research report on the 1974 recovery study to test for internal consistency. They then compared those findings to what was observed in the 2013 Moore tornado. While contemporary analysis tended to be critical of the mental health response, owing to a lack of planning, we found that mental health and faith‐based participants repurposed a faltering system to provide a variety of services. An approach similar to what we know today as Psychological First Aid was the preferred approach by community groups responding to disaster in 1974 over the initial medically oriented model of counseling and in Moore in 2013. This shift may point to the efficacy of the approach in meeting community needs.

A systematic review of 20 years of crisis and disaster research: Trends and progress

“…In the crisis literature, the number of comparative case studies is increasing, approaching the levels of single case studies throughout the past 20 years. Here, comparative case studies focus on subjects like policy learning in the aftermath of crises (Albright & Crow, 2015;Clay et al, 2018), the capacity of civil security systems across different countries (Kuipers et al, 2015), social media crisis communication (Eriksson & Olsson, 2016), collaborative crisis management (Deverell et al, 2019;Fisk et al, 2019), or policy responses to media frenzies (Lodge & Hood, 2002). Well-cited single case studies focus on Hurricane Katrina (Corey & Deitch, 2011;Parker et al, 2009), Hurricane Rita (Lutz & Lindell, 2008), Three Mile Island (Hopkins, 2001), an oil industry accident (Crichton et al, 2005), the French heatwave (Lagadec, 2004), the California Electricity Crisis (Schulman et al, 2004), and the Queensland floods (Olsson, 2014).…”

Puerto Rican Farmers' Obstacles Toward Recovery and Adaptation Strategies After Hurricane Maria: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Adaptive Capacity

“…This assertion is especially true in the context of a disaster, where a disruption of the built and natural environments, as well as to day-to-day livelihood activities, reflects what resources and abilities people have available to manage the situation (Quarantelli, 1992;Wisner et al, 2004Wisner et al, , 2012Adger, 2006;Clay et al, 2018). Disasters are social-historical products that highlight people's vulnerability to natural hazards, which to a great extent is driven by people's exposure and sensitivity to those shocks, as well as their adaptive capacity (Brooks and Adger, 2005;Gallopín, 2006;Smit and Wandel, 2006;Ribot, 2014).…”

Association between long-term stressors and mental health distress following the 2013 Moore tornado: a pilot study

“…This requires us to expand what we consider mental health services and look more at addressing the development of stressors instead of just treating mental health conditions that manifest. Xenia, Ohio, is a great example of this, where in the wake of a tornado in 1974, they expanded their definition of mental health services, offering people help finding employment and free childcare, thereby reducing financial constraints (Dynes and Quarantelli, 1975;Clay et al, 2018).…”