TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Psychosocial support during displacement due to a natural disaster: relationships with distress in a lower-middle income country
JO  - International health
A1  - Zahlawi, Tatiana
A1  - Roome, Amanda B.
A1  - Chan, Chim W.
A1  - Campbell, Jacqueline J.
A1  - Tosiro, Bev
A1  - Malanga, Max
A1  - Tagaro, Markleen
A1  - Obed, Jimmy
A1  - Iaruel, Jerry
A1  - Taleo, George
A1  - Tarivonda, Len
A1  - Olszowy, Kathryn M.
A1  - Dancause, Kelsey N.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Past studies show relationships between disaster-related displacement and adverse psychosocial health outcomes. The development of psychosocial interventions following displacement is thus increasingly prioritized. However, data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are lacking. In October 2017, the population of Ambae Island in Vanuatu, a lower-middle income country, was temporarily displaced due to volcanic activity. We analyzed distress among adults displaced due to the event and differences based on the psychosocial support they received. <br><br>METHODS: Data on experiences during displacement, distress and psychosocial support were collected from 443 adults 2-3 wk after repatriation to Ambae Island. Four support categories were identified: Healthcare professional, Traditional/community, Not available and Not wanted. We analyzed differences in distress by sex and group using one-way ANOVA and generalized linear models. <br><br>RESULTS: Mean distress scores were higher among women (1.90, SD=0.97) than men (1.64, SD=0.98) (p<0.004). In multivariate models, psychosocial support group was associated with distress among women (p=0.033), with higher scores among women who reported no available support compared with every other group. Both healthcare professional and traditional support networks were widely used. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Women might be particularly vulnerable to distress during disaster-related displacement in LMICs, and those who report a lack of support might be at greater risk. Both healthcare professional and traditional networks provide important sources of support that are widely used and might help to ameliorate symptoms.<br><br>© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1876-3413
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihy099
ID  - ref1
ER  -