Between August 6 to 10, 2009, Typhoon Morakot battered Taiwan with unprecedented rainfall, causing significant damage to numerous communities and forcing many residents to relocate. On the 15th anniversary of the disaster, the College of Nursing at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), in collaboration with the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, has conducted a survey of 1,236 families whose homes were severely damaged by the Morakot Typhoon. The ten-year follow-up reveals that those who were quickly moved into permanent housing did not necessarily experience better mental health recovery. Although these individuals reported lower levels of psychological stress at the beginning, their stress levels increased over time, eventually surpassing those of others affected by the disaster.
In contrast, those who faced delays in securing permanent housing – despite undergoing several relocations – show significantly better long-term mental health recovery due to the additional time preparation before settling into stable homes.
According to Dr. Lu-Yen Anny Chen, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Clinical Nursing, College of Nursing at NYCU, who participated in the survey, noted that individuals who had more time to prepare before relocating showed better long-term mental health recovery compared to those who were moved quickly, regardless of whether they experienced one major relocation or two. This finding suggests that allowing more time for disaster survivors to plan and make decisions about when and where to move after a natural disaster should be a critical factor in reducing long-term psychological stress.
Some previous studies and reports have pointed out the negative impact of permanent housing on community cohesion and cultural heritage, even leading to disputes over land and residency rights, making it challenging to help disaster survivors settle and thrive. [1]
In recent years, Taiwan and even the wider world have faced increasing threats from extreme climate. The research team believes this study provides an essential reference for disaster risk management and social resilience establishment. Dr. Chen suggests that future disaster response strategies should place greater emphasis on the psychological needs of disaster survivors, offering sufficient time and resources to help them make relocation decisions that suit their circumstances and facilitate psychological adjustment, thereby promoting mental health recovery following natural disasters.
The study “The Impact of Relocation Patterns on Psychological Stress” was published in the international journal Psychological Science. The research team classified the relocation patterns of disaster survivors into six categories, including returning to their original residence immediately, experiencing a long-distance relocation after many years, moving into permanent housing immediately, having time to prepare before a major relocation, having no buffer time between two major relocations, and having a buffer time between two major relocations. The results emphasize the importance of allowing sufficient time for discussion and decision-making during post-disaster reconstruction to enhance resilience against future natural disasters.
