Earthquakes and mental health

Earthquakes may seriously deteriorate mental health by generating fear and stress as a result of economic and human losses. However, mental health has also been found to improve as a result of greater social cohesion in affected communities after such events. We examine the short-run effects of earthquakes on a wide set of mental health outcomes in Ecuador. To this end, we combine hospital admissions, death records, and survey data with precise measures of local seismic activity to exploit the plausibly random spatial and temporal nature of earthquake intensity. We find that damaging earthquakes decrease the propensity to be admitted, the number of days of hospitalisation for mental and behavioural disorders, and deaths to suicides. Estimates from nationally-representative surveys provide evidence of increased life satisfaction, trust, and religious observance, suggesting a possible explanation for the fall in hospital admissions and suicides after an earthquake.(c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Earthquakes can have negative impacts on mental health due to fear and stress caused by economic and human losses. However, they can also lead to improved mental health in affected communities due to increased social cohesion. This study examines the short-term effects of earthquakes on various mental health outcomes in Ecuador, using a combination of hospital admissions, death records, survey data, and measures of local seismic activity. The findings show that damaging earthquakes decrease hospital admissions, the number of days of hospitalization for mental and behavioral disorders, and suicide rates. Nationally-representative surveys also suggest an increase in life satisfaction, trust, and religious observance, which may explain the decrease in hospital admissions and suicides after an earthquake.