The role of the natural environment in disaster recovery: "We live here because we love the bush"

Karen Block; Robyn Molyneaux; Lisa Gibbs; Nathan Alkemade; Elyse Baker; Colin MacDougall; Greg Ireton; David Forbes

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.03.007

The role of the natural environment in disaster recovery: "We live here because we love the bush"

Health Place. 2019 May:57:61-69. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.03.007. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Authors

Karen Block¹, Robyn Molyneaux², Lisa Gibbs³, Nathan Alkemade⁴, Elyse Baker², Colin MacDougall⁵, Greg Ireton², David Forbes⁴

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia. Electronic address: keblock@unimelb.edu.au.
² Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
³ Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

PMID: 30981069
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.03.007

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explored the role of connection to the natural environment in recovery from the 'Black Saturday' bushfires that blazed across Victoria, Australia, in February 2009. Qualitative findings demonstrated that many participants had a strong connection to the natural environment, experienced considerable grief as a result of its devastation in the fires and drew solace from seeing it regenerate over the following months and years. Quantitative analyses indicated that a strong attachment to the environment was associated with reduced psychological distress, fewer symptoms of major depression and fire-related PTSD, and higher levels of resilience, post-traumatic growth and life satisfaction. While social connections are increasingly recognized as supportive of disaster recovery, the influence of landscapes also needs to be recognized in terms of the impact of their destruction as well as their therapeutic potential.

Keywords: Biophilia; Disaster; Mental health; Natural environment; Recovery; Topophilia.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Depressive Disorder, Major / psychology
Environment*
Female
Grief*
Humans
Male
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Resilience, Psychological*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology*
Victoria
Wildfires*