Association of parental dissatisfaction and perceived inequality of post-disaster recovery process with child mental health

Yuna Koyama; Takeo Fujiwara; Junko Yagi; Hirobumi Mashiko; Great East Japan Earthquake Follow-up for Children study team

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114723

Association of parental dissatisfaction and perceived inequality of post-disaster recovery process with child mental health

Soc Sci Med. 2022 Mar:296:114723. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114723. Epub 2022 Jan 14.

Authors

Yuna Koyama¹, Takeo Fujiwara², Junko Yagi³, Hirobumi Mashiko⁴; Great East Japan Earthquake Follow-up for Children study team

Affiliations

¹ Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.
² Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan; Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: fujiwara.hlth@tmd.ac.jp.
³ Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Iwate, Japan.
⁴ Fukushima Rehabilitation Center for Children, Fukushima, Japan.

PMID: 35063915
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114723

Abstract

Introduction: Unequal distribution of access to resources would often be highlighted after disasters, and may have impact on child mental health. We aimed to elucidate the association between perception of recovery process (dissatisfaction and perceived inequality) and child mental health.

Method: Data from the Great East Japan Earthquake Follow-up for Children (GEJE-FC) study targeting children (aged 4-6 years at the time of the disaster) and their siblings and parents from three affected prefectures (Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate) in Japan, from August 2012 to January 2018, were analyzed. Dissatisfaction and perceived inequality of recovery process, parental mental health (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and happiness) and social capital, and child mental health (Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children) were assessed via self-rated questionnaires. Longitudinal associations of dissatisfaction and perceived inequality and mental health were examined with the linear mixed modeling and structural equation modeling (n = 168 parent-child dyads).

Result: Dissatisfaction and perceived inequality predicted lower parental happiness and more child depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed that parental mental health was associated with perceived inequality via lower social capital. Interestingly, perceived inequality was associated with child depressive symptom directly and indirectly through parental mental health and social capital.

Conclusion: Dissatisfaction and perceived inequality of post-disaster recovery process were important predictors of child mental health. To mitigate the impact of disaster and to avoid damage on child mental health in the recovery process, policy makers should take into account survivors' dissatisfaction and perceived inequality of recovery process.

Keywords: Children; Dissatisfaction; Earthquake; Mental health; Natural disaster; Perceived inequality; Post-disaster recovery process.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Disasters*
Earthquakes*
Humans
Japan
Mental Health
Parents
Survivors / psychology