Impact of Flood Di
Impact of Flood Disaster on the
Mental Health of Residents in the Eastern Region of Jeddah Governorate, 2010: A
Study in Medical geography
Katibah Maghrabi
Department of Geography, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia
Abstract: The
impact of natural disasters over the last decade has resulted in many lives
lost and livelihoods destroyed. Recent disasters, such as the earthquakes, the
drought in the Horn of Africa, and landslides in Yemen have tested
the capacities of Member States as well as national and international humanitarian
agencies to provide quick and effective assistance. Flood disaster
constitutes the most costly natural as well as technology-induced disaster, in
terms of both human suffering and financial loss. Natural disaster risk
assessment is a complex task, involving a wide variety of processes which
require large amounts of spatial and temporal thematic data and information
coming from disparate sources. In conjunction with the natural disaster risk
assessment, medical geography aims at explaining the distribution of health
status and disease. It identifies efficient ways to intervene and distribute
trained personal and technology and has a crucial role in assessing and
managing the consequences of disasters.Aim of the study: Exploring the impact
of the floods on the mental health of the residents in the Eastern region of
Jeddah Governorate, Locate neighbourhoods affected by the flood disaster in the
city of Jeddah; Identify the natural factors causing the disaster; Human impact
and negative role in the disaster; Measuring the psychological impact on the
population in the affected place; Estimate the prevalence of PTSD among
residents in the eastern region of Jeddah, as well as the residents who were
shifted to the lodging houses; Describe the potential and exacerbating factors
associated with occurrence of PTSD among residents exposed to the flood
disaster and finally develop plans and recommendations that would reduce the
recurrence of the disaster in the future. Methods and subjects: The study depends on the objective approach
,using many methods in analyzing the information such as the descriptive,
analytical and interpretative in addition to field studies. Through
a cross sectional community based on a design sample of 450 individuals, who
were selected randomly from an estimated 336000 residents who were living along
the stream courses of the flood. Cluster sampling using ArcGis 9.1 was made to
assign 40 random clusters distributed proportionally according to the expected
severity of exposure and from each cluster 10 households were selected by
systematic random sampling plus 50 individuals who were selected randomly from
those who were evacuated to lodging houses. PTSS-10 questionnaire was used to
discover PTSD among people exposed to disasters. The results obtained from this
study are explained and illustrated in tables and figures, in addition the
study covering the following topics:Re-experiencing symptoms(Flashbacks—
reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing
heart or sweating, bad dreams and frightening thoughts); Avoidance
symptoms(e.g. Staying away from places, events, or objects that remind of the
experience, feeling emotionally numb, feeling strong guilt, depression, worry,
losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past and having
trouble remembering the dangerous event) and Hyper-arousal symptoms
(Being easily startled, feeling tense or “on edge”, having difficulty sleeping,
and/or having angry outbursts). Conclusion and Recommendations: While it is
extremely difficult, if not impossible, to predict the occurrence of most
natural hazards; it is possible to take action before emergency events happen
to plan for their occurrence when possible and to mitigate their potential
effects putting into consideration the expected scenario of the event. Our
study revealed two important issues that would help in the preparedness plan
for flood disaster in Jeddah Governorate, first, the anatomy of the expected
flood that could be modified through establishment of properly designed
underground drainage tunnels leading to the red sea on the western border of
the city. Secondly, in addition to the direct effect of the disaster
represented by loss of properties and morbidities that could be ameliorated by
compensations and concurrent health services, an overlooked post disaster
impact shown as Post Traumatic Stress Disorders should be put in consideration
in planning for the comprehensive health services provided to the victims of
the flood. Thirdly, the authorities must prevent the establishment of any
buildings, roads or infra-structure along the courses of dry valleys.
[Katibah Maghrabi. Impact of Flood Disaster on
the Mental Health of Residents in the Eastern Region of Jeddah Governorate,
2010: A Study in Medical geography. Life Sci J
2012;9(1):95-110] (ISSN: 1097-8135).http://www.lifesciencesite.com.
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Keywoed: Flood Disaster, Mental Health ,Jeddah,
Governorate, geography. Full Text 17
