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Relationship Between Long-term Flooding and Serious Mental Illness After the 2011 Flood in Thailand

Part of: Floods collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2016

Takeshi Yoda ,
Katsunori Yokoyama ,
Hiromi Suzuki  and
Tomohiro Hirao
Takeshi Yoda*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
Katsunori Yokoyama
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
Hiromi Suzuki
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
Tomohiro Hirao
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Takeshi Yoda, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki cho, Kita gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan (e-mail: tyoda@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp).
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Abstract

Objective

The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term psychological effects of the 2011 flood in Thailand on flood victims and unaffected residents, taking into account risk factors such as floodwater levels in the house, period of flooding, and disruption to essential services.

Methods

Surveys were conducted in Salaya and Nakhon Chaisri subdistrict, Nakhonpatom Province, from May to June 2012. Approximately 400 households were selected. Measures of sociodemographic variables, exposure to flooding, incidents (eg, disruption of services), and outcome variables (Kessler 10) were recorded.

Results

A total of 407 respondents completed the survey. The results of the univariate analysis showed that possible serious mental illness was approximately 1.5 times higher in flood victims than in unaffected respondents. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, significant associations were found for disruption of essential services and hypertension or diabetes with possible serious mental illness.

Conclusions

Disruption of essential services and chronic illness may affect psychological distress among flood victims. Public health agencies should develop and evaluate strategies to improve risk communication and psychological support for flood victims. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:300–304).

Keywords

flood victimsserious mental illnesspsychological distressrisk factors
Type
Brief Reports
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , June 2017 , pp. 300 - 304
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2016 

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