Despite growing research on disaster-related health impacts, pregnant individuals remain understudied. This study explores the sociodemographic characteristics of pregnant women affected by Hurricane Harvey.

A cross-sectional analysis of 4,951 pregnant individuals (511 directly impacted) was conducted to identify predictors of disrupted healthcare, financial loss, and mental health outcomes.

Social and structural vulnerabilities significantly influenced disaster impact. Pregnant individuals who were foreign-born racial/ethnic minorities (16.7% non-Latinx Black, 10.2% Latinx vs. 8.3% non-Latinx White), low-income (13.0% vs. 8.0%), less educated (12.5% vs. 7.6%), reliant on public healthcare (81% vs. 33.5%), or with limited maternity care access (11.4% vs. 54.8%) were disproportionately affected (all p < 0.001). Conversely, post-disaster anxiety was more common among U.S.-born (14.8% vs. 8.0%), college-educated (19.0% vs. 9.8%), and higher-income individuals (21.2% vs. 7.9%) (all p < 0.01).

Disadvantaged pregnant populations face greater disruption during disasters, while those with fewer vulnerabilities may experience more prolonged anxiety.

Emergency supply kits (ESKs) may support disaster-related self-sufficiency and may be important for people with chronic health conditions (CHCs). However, evidence of ESK’s effectiveness in supporting self-sufficiency is lacking. This study examined associations between households possessing ESKs and 1) household members leaving home for medicine and 2) individuals with CHCs seeking medical care.

Data were collected through a survey distributed to southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian’s impact (n = 1342). Associations were assessed using logistic regression models.

ESK possession was more common among households with members with CHCs (63%) than households without such members (56%). Overall, regression models revealed no clear association between ESK possession and leaving home for medicine (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)=1.27; CI = 0.81-2.02). Analyses restricted to households with individuals with CHCs revealed no clear associations between ESK possession and leaving the home for medicine (aOR= 1.35; CI = 0.81-2.25) or seeking medical care (aOR = 1.07; CI = 0.68-1.68).

This study did not provide evidence that ESKs promote medical self-sufficiency. However, it did not characterize the medication in households’ ESKs or the type, duration, and severity of CHCs, and could have had uncontrolled confounding. Characterization of such factors would be important in future studies of ESKs and self-sufficiency among people with CHCs.

Earthquakes deeply affect people’s lives and cause significant psychological damage. This study was conducted to determine the trauma level of midwifery students after the devastating earthquake in Turkey.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 252 students enrolled in the midwifery department of the Faculty of Health Sciences of a state university in Turkey. Data were collected using the participant information form and the Scale for Determining the Level of Post-Earthquake Trauma. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for data analysis.

This study found that post-earthquake, students had trauma levels and sub-dimension scores related to behavioral problems, excitement limitation, affective and cognitive structuring, and sleep problems that were above average. The research revealed that students who were present in one of the earthquake-affected provinces, experienced house destruction, suffered the loss of relatives, had previous traumatic events, or received disaster management training had significantly higher levels of trauma.

In this direction, it is of utmost importance for university students in midwifery departments to be prepared for natural disasters like earthquakes. This preparedness will enable them to effectively cope with the physical and psychological issues caused by such disasters, benefiting both their own health and public health.

Natural disasters can cause widespread death and extensive physical devastation, but also harmfully impact individual and community health following a disaster event. Nature-based recovery approach can positively influence the mental health of people and community’s post-natural disasters. In response to the Australian bushfire season of 2019-2020, Zoos Victoria, in partnership with the Arthur Rylah Institute, worked with local communities in East Gippsland to support people’s recovery through experiencing, supporting, and witnessing nature’s recovery.

This mixed-method study explored how nature improved the recovery of remote and rural communities affected by the Black Summer bushfires in East Gippsland. The research studied the individuals’ feelings about being involved in nature-based community events and their lived experiences. Data were collected from June to September 2023 through a nature-based community recovery project survey and community interviews.

The findings demonstrated that engagement with natural environments promotes positive psychological, mental, and general well-being of people from bushfire-affected communities. Positive feedback from participants indicated the success of the Nature-Based Community Recovery Project in East Gippsland after the Black Summer bushfire.

This research provides insights for future recovery projects and ensures that sustainable nature-based recovery solutions for bushfire-impacted communities can be established.

History of prior mental disorder, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increases risk for PTSD following subsequent trauma exposure. However, limited research has examined differences associated with specific prior mental disorders among people with PTSD.

The current study examined whether different prior mental disorders were associated with meaningful differences among individuals presenting to a specialist service for severe earthquake-related distress following the Canterbury earthquakes (N = 177).

Two sets of comparisons were made: between participants with no history of prior disorder and participants with history of any prior disorder; and between participants with history of prior PTSD and those with history of other prior disorders. Comparisons were made in relation to sociodemographic factors, earthquake exposure, peri-traumatic distress, life events and current psychological functioning.

Participants with any prior mental disorder had more current disorders than those with no prior disorder. Among participants with history of any prior disorder, those with prior PTSD reported more life events in the past 5 years than those with other prior disorders.

Findings suggest a history of any prior mental disorder contributes to increased clinical complexity, but not increased PTSD severity, among people with PTSD seeking treatment. Although post-disaster screening efforts should include those with prior mental disorders, it should also be recognised that those with no prior disorders are also at risk of developing equally severe PTSD.

In the field of cancer, many cancer patient associations (CPAs) have been established in Türkiye to support individuals living with cancer (ILCs) throughout the diagnosis and treatment processes. The presence of CPAs for ILCs became more significant after the major earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye in February 2023. The aim of this study is to identify the challenges of ILCs after the earthquakes from the perspective of CPA members.

This study employed a qualitative approach. The data collection method was in-depth interviews. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 15 volunteers who work with ILCs, selected through purposeful sampling. The data were analyzed by using inductive thematic analysis. This study was conducted between April and May 2023.

Three main themes (problems of ILCs caused by earthquakes, access to health care, future concerns) and 11 subthemes were extracted through analyzing interviews.

ILCs experienced diverse difficulties after earthquakes. Members of CPAs observed that acute interventions to injured people and humanitarian aid activities had the first-place importance after the earthquake, while cancer-related care took the second place, anticipating devastating outcomes for the future of their care. CPAs should be supported by the public, local governments, and central government in their endeavors for ILCs.

This study focuses on adults affected by the February 2023 Turkey earthquakes, aiming to uncover demographic and clinical traits.

A retrospective analysis of data from adult patients who sought emergency care between February 6 and February 21, 2023, following the earthquakes, was conducted.

Among 3072 patients, 1544 (50.3%) of whom were women, trauma (31.1%) was the most prevalent cause of emergency department presentations. The median age of all patients was 44 y (interquartile range [IQR] 31-61 y). Hatay province accounted for 65.2% of trauma patients as origin. Most of the patients (66.8%) presented to the emergency department by their own means, while this was opposite for trauma patients, of whom 54.5% was transferred by means of Ambulance Service. Half of the total trauma patients were rescued from the debris, and 75.9% sustained limb injuries. Crush syndrome affected 24.7%, and emergency hemodialysis was performed on 9.1%, whereas emergency surgery was performed on 22.8% of all trauma cases. Overall, 10.2% of trauma patients lacked any identification. The rate of emergency department admittions due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases was higher at the time of the earthquake compared with the previous year (P < 0.001).

The insights gained from this study hold valuable implications for disaster response strategies, emphasizing the importance of preparedness, timely intervention, and comprehensive patient care.

Natural disasters have a significant impact on the mental health of affected populations. The February 2023 earthquakes in Syria and Turkey caused widespread devastation.

To explore the mental health impact of the earthquakes in Syria on the population across areas differentially damaged by the disaster.

This cross-sectional study conducted in Syria included 1406 adults recruited via social media platforms 1 month after the February 2023 earthquakes. Demographic information, earthquake exposure questions, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5: for probable post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9: for probable depression) and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7: for probable anxiety) were included to compare outcomes across areas severely, moderately and slightly damaged by the earthquakes.

Probable PTSD and GAD rates were higher in the severely (57.9 and 57.3% respectively) and moderately damaged regions (55.4 and 56.3% respectively) than in the slightly damaged regions (44.6 and 48.3% respectively) (PTSD: P < 0.001, GAD: P = 0.005). More participants in severely damaged regions (60.6%) reported symptoms of depression compared with moderately (53.1%) and slightly damaged (50.8%) regions (P = 0.003). Poorer mental health outcomes were associated with being female, single, younger, having a damaged or destroyed house, seeing something tragic in person and hearing tragic stories. Seeing something tragic on social media was not statistically significant.

This study highlights the higher prevalence of probable mental disorders in areas with more severe earthquake damage, with over 50% of the population reporting probable PTSD, depression or anxiety. The study also suggests a significant cumulative effect of these earthquakes on an already trauma- and disaster-affected population.