The effect of group involvement on post-disaster mental health: A longitudinal multilevel analysis

H Colin Gallagher; Karen Block; Lisa Gibbs; David Forbes; Dean Lusher; Robyn Molyneaux; John Richardson; Philippa Pattison; Colin MacDougall; Richard A Bryant

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.006

The effect of group involvement on post-disaster mental health: A longitudinal multilevel analysis

Soc Sci Med. 2019 Jan:220:167-175. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.006. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Transformative Innovation, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: cgallagher@swin.edu.au.
² Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Phoenix Australia: Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Transformative Innovation, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ Australian Red Cross, Melbourne, Australia; Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁷ Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
⁸ School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁹ School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Phoenix Australia: Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

PMID: 30447481
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.006

Abstract

Involvement in voluntary associations is a key form of social capital and plays an especially important role following disaster as a venue for coordination and decision-making for the wider community. Yet, relatively little attention has been paid to how group involvement affects mental health, at either the individual or community level. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of involvement in voluntary associations on mental health among residents of bushfire-affected communities. A longitudinal sample of 642 individuals affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires in south-eastern Australia were surveyed in 2012 and 2014 (3- and 5-years post-disaster). A further subsample (n = 552) of residents residing continuously within 22 bushfire-affected communities were examined for community-level effects using multilevel regression methods. After adjusting for demographics, disaster exposure, and network variables, group involvement at time 1 bore a curvilinear relationship with PTSD at both time points: moderate involvement was most beneficial, with no participation, or high amounts, yielding poorer outcomes. High amounts of group involvement was likewise linked to a greater risk of major depression. Furthermore, communities with higher median levels of group involvement reported lower levels of PTSD symptoms and major depression two years later. With respect to group involvement, more is not always better. For individuals, moderation - if possible - is key. Meanwhile, community-level health benefits come when most people participate to some extent, suggesting that the distribution of involvement across the community is important.

Keywords: Depression; Group membership; Natural disasters; PTSD; Social capital; Social networks; Voluntary associations.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Depression / psychology
Disasters*
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Mental Health*
Middle Aged
Multilevel Analysis
Social Networking*
Social Support*
South Australia
Surveys and Questionnaires
Volunteers*