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My Disaster Recovery: a pilot randomized controlled trial of an Internet intervention
Sarah E Steinmetz1, Charles C Benight, Sheryl L Bishop
1Department of Psychology, Trauma, Health, and Hazards Center, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, CO, USA.
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping
|August 13, 2011
Summary
The My Disaster Recovery (MDR) website may help reduce worry and depression after disasters. This pilot study found MDR more effective than usual care or information-only websites for survivors of Hurricane Ike.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Disaster Recovery
- Mental Health Interventions
Background:
- Hurricane Ike survivors often experience negative affect and reduced coping self-efficacy.
- Effective digital interventions are needed to support disaster recovery and mental well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the efficacy of the My Disaster Recovery (MDR) website in reducing negative affect and increasing coping self-efficacy among Hurricane Ike survivors.
- To compare the MDR website's impact against an information-only website and usual care.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 56 Hurricane Ike survivors.
- Restricted randomization assigned participants to the MDR website, an information-only website, or usual care.
- Assessed changes in negative affect (worry, depression) and coping self-efficacy.
Main Results:
- The MDR website significantly reduced participant worry compared to the other conditions.
- A similar trend was observed for reduced depression.
- Website access was moderate, with mixed user satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- The MDR website shows potential as a tool for mitigating psychological distress following natural disasters.
- Further research with larger, diverse samples is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.
- The MDR website may be a valuable resource for post-disaster mental health support.
