Abstract

A household probability sample of 229 adults was interviewed four to seven months after the Sierra Madre earthquake (June 28, 1991; Los Angeles County). The study predicted psychological distress from these variables: demographics, traumatic event history, low magnitude event history, earthquake related threat perceptions, and earthquake related resource loss. Based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) stress model, it was predicted that resource loss would be central in predicting psychological distress. Three major hypotheses were supported: (1) resource loss was positively associated with psychological distress; (2) resource loss predicted psychological distress when other predictors were statistically controlled; and (3) resource loss was associated with mild to moderate elevations in of psychological distress. The findings support COR stress theory. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords

DistressConservation of resources theoryDemographicsPsychologyPsychological distressNatural disasterResource (disambiguation)Clinical psychologyDemographyPsychiatryMental healthSocial psychologyGeographySociology

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Publication Info

Year
1994
Type
article
Volume
7
Issue
2
Pages
257-273
Citations
330
Access
Closed

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John R. Freedy, Michael E. Saladin, Dean G. Kilpatrick et al. (1994). Understanding acute psychological distress following natural disaster. Journal of Traumatic Stress , 7 (2) , 257-273. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02102947

Identifiers

DOI
10.1007/bf02102947