Hierarchies of affectedness after disasters

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Disaster Recovery Studies
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Disasters profoundly disrupt individual and community health and well-being.
• Post-disaster, hierarchies of affectedness emerge, comparing those impacted.
• These hierarchies influence recovery trajectories, mental health, and access to aid.

Purpose of the Study:

• To expand the 'hierarchy of affectedness' concept in post-disaster settings.
• To explore how these hierarchies are negotiated and their impact on recovery.
• To understand helpful and unhelpful recovery factors from affected individuals' perspectives.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing a letter-writing research method.
• Twenty participants impacted by various disasters in Australia and New Zealand.
• Analysis of participants' descriptions of helpful and unhelpful recovery experiences.

Main Results:

• Hierarchies of affectedness are negotiated between impacted individuals, their community, and outsiders.
• These hierarchies can serve as a sense-making tool for some disaster survivors.
• For others, these hierarchies contribute to significant secondary stress during recovery.

Conclusions:

• The study expands Andersen's (2013) hierarchy of affectedness model.
• Negotiated hierarchies have dual impacts: aiding sense-making or causing stress.
• Findings offer insights into improving post-disaster support and understanding recovery.