Ethnicity, Culture, and Disaster Response

Culture and Mental Health after Disasters

A plethora of disaster research suggests that ethnic and racial minorities may have increased mental health difficulties after a disaster. However, existing research investigating racial and ethnic disparities in mental health postdisaster does not fully support this assumption. Some studies have found that ethnic and racial minorities suffer from high rates of mental health disorders postdisaster whereas other studies do not find differences in mental health reactions in minority groups compared with majority groups. In a review of the literature, Norris and colleagues found that ethnic groups of minority group status often had increased mental health problems compared to individuals from majority group status. For example, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, some research indicated that Hispanic and Black groups were found to have greater risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to White groups. In contrast, another researcher has found few differences among racial and ethnic groups once risk factors such as socioeconomic status (SES; e.g., education, income, occupational status) and level of exposure to the traumatic event have been controlled. In the disaster literature, lower SES indicators have been associated with increased postdisaster mental health problems. In fact, lower SES has also been identified as a risk factor associated with more negative mental health outcome in other trauma-exposed samples as well.

Although the reasons for increased mental health issues among racial and ethnic minorities postdisaster remain unclear, some research suggests racial or ethnic discrimination and sustained socioeconomic disparities may be important pieces of the puzzle. For example, the majority of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans, Louisiana, and the surrounding areas in 2005, were primarily ethnic and racial minorities, one third of whom lived below the poverty line. The people of New Orleans suffered from damage related to the flooding, displacement, and the loss of family, friends, and property, and some of the victims of Hurricane Katrina have still not recovered from their losses. Some research from Hurricane Katrina indicated higher levels of perceived racial discrimination during Hurricane Katrina and economic difficulties after Hurricane Katrina were associated with more PTSD symptoms. More research is necessary to understand the reasons why racial and ethnic minorities may have increased mental health difficulties after disasters.

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