Psychological Sequelae of the 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan Among Survivor-Responders

Abstract

Objective: Super Typhoon Haiyan (known as Yolanda in the Philippines), one of the strongest tropical cyclones recorded in history, made landfall in the Philippines in November 2013. This cross-sectional study examined the psychological impact of the typhoon and its aftermath, as well as the impact of individual typhoon-related stressors among a group of survivor-responders. Method: A total of 192 Filipino adult survivors who were also disaster-relief responders and 45 unaffected disaster-relief responders (N = 237) completed a questionnaire that assessed their general psychological distress (GPD), symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS), and disaster experiences 1.5 to 4 months after the event. Results: The disaster-exposed group was more distressed and suffered from more symptoms of PTS, but the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was not statistically different between the two groups (7.9% versus 9.4%). Regression analysis revealed that financial instability (β = .52), physical injury (β = .21), and perceived life threat (β = .17) were associated with GPD. Physical injury (β = .20) and perceived life threat (β = .20) were also associated with PTS symptoms. Conclusions: Although a marked difference in PTSD was not noted, the psychological impact of Super Typhoon Haiyan on survivor-responders in terms of nonspecific psychological distress and symptoms of PTS was considerable. Some typhoon-related stressors, including financial instability, physical injury, and perceived life threat, appear to be more detrimental to mental health than other stressors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christian S. Chan

Christian S. Chan, PhD, Kristen N. S. Tang, MSocSc, and Simmy Y. T. Yip, PCPsych, are affiliated with the Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong.

Kristen N. S. Tang

Christian S. Chan, PhD, Kristen N. S. Tang, MSocSc, and Simmy Y. T. Yip, PCPsych, are affiliated with the Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong.

Brian J. Hall

Brian J. Hall, PhD, is affiliated with the Global and Community Mental Health Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Macau, and Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore.

Simmy Y. T. Yip

Christian S. Chan, PhD, Kristen N. S. Tang, MSocSc, and Simmy Y. T. Yip, PCPsych, are affiliated with the Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong.

Melba Maggay

Melba Maggay, PhD, is affiliated with the Institute for Studies of Asian Churches and Cultures, the Philippines.