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Stress and Environmental Disasters
Rising PTSD levels in a changing world
The effects of stress on health are well understood, with common dangers including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
Nonetheless, how environmental disasters contribute to stress levels is an area still being explored.
In an article by The Union of Concerned Scientists, it noted that the physical toll from climate catastrophes is often far less than the psychological toll. They noted that “people coping with severe weather conditions can experience serious mental health symptoms, including post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety.”
This is not surprising.
When people lose their homes, businesses and possessions or potentially witness the loss of life, the resulting impact on the psyche is likely to be traumatic.
Psychologist Carl F. Weems noted that “the more severe and intense your exposure to traumatic experiences during a disaster, the more likely that you will have severe mental health symptoms.”
He also concluded that the closer you are to the centre of the event, the further the distance to evacuation and the greater the devastation, the worse for your mental health. Research suggests that between 25 and 50 per cent of people…
