Journal
HEALTH & PLACE
Volume 57, Issue -, Pages 61-69Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.03.007
Keywords
Disaster; Mental health; Natural environment; Recovery; Biophilia; Topophilia
Categories
Funding
- University of Melbourne
- Australian Research Council Linkage Grant [LP100200164]
- Department of Health
- Australian Red Cross
- Australian Rotary Health
- Centrelink
- Phoenix Australia-Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health
- Central Hume
- Bendigo Loddon
- North East
- Outer East
- Central West Gippsland
- Lower Hume
- Australian Research Council [LP100200164] Funding Source: Australian Research Council
Ask authors/readers for more resources
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.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available