ABSTRACT

Many studies show that long-term poor mental health outcomes for disaster-affected people are predicted by postdisaster stressors. Despite this finding, existing recovery frameworks vary in how these stressors are conceptualised. This paper examines community members’ subjective perceptions of what they found problematic and useful in their recoveries after the Australian 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, and considers them in the light of these frameworks. We report the findings from responses to semi-structured survey questions as part of the Beyond Bushfires study, 3–4 years after these bushfires (n = 811). Participants identified the biggest problems as managing rebuilding processes and managing their own mental health, memories of the Black Saturday fires, and their concerns for family members. The four most useful supports were family, friends, rebuilding resources, and their community. We found a complex interplay of the same factors operating as both stressors and supports, particularly in relation to family levels of coping.

• IMPLICATIONS

• Disaster recovery efforts require the simultaneous management of physical rebuilding and human processes.

• Families, friends, and neighbours are underestimated resources in postdisaster recovery.

• Given the complex interplay of the same factors operating as both stressors and supports, interventions are needed that maximise the positive dimensions of these factors. To manage this complexity, multiple frameworks are needed to guide disaster recovery.

摘要

许多研究表明，灾后压力源可以预测受灾人群的长期心理健康状况不佳。尽管有这一发现，现有的恢复框架在这些压力源的概念化方式上有所不同。本文研究了社区成员对 2009 年澳大利亚黑色星期六丛林大火后他们在恢复过程中发现的问题和有用的主观看法，并根据这些框架对其进行了考虑。我们报告了对半结构化调查问题的回答的结果，作为超越丛林大火研究的一部分，这些丛林大火发生后 3-4 年 ( n  = 811）。参与者认为最大的问题是管理重建过程和管理自己的心理健康、黑色星期六火灾的记忆以及他们对家人的担忧。四个最有用的支持是家人、朋友、重建资源和他们的社区。我们发现作为压力源和支持因素的相同因素之间存在复杂的相互作用，特别是与家庭的应对水平有关。

• 影响

• 灾难恢复工作需要同时管理物理重建和人工流程。

• 家人、朋友和邻居是灾后恢复中被低估的资源。

• 鉴于作为压力源和支持因素的相同因素之间存在复杂的相互作用，因此需要采取干预措施以最大限度地发挥这些因素的积极影响。为了管理这种复杂性，需要多个框架来指导灾难恢复。