The devastation caused by hurricane Katrina in the Southern States of the USA is clearly a major disaster. Worldwide news reports talk of the destruction, the displacement and the disastrous impact. But many of the reports focus on the physical damage and the financial costs. Clearly, beneath the headlines there are millions of untold human stories of how people are facing up to the problems the weather has created for them. Two aspects of psychology come into play in these incidents. The first, is the instinct for survival. Previously law abiding citizens were raiding stores for bottled water. Labelled as looters by the authorities and the media, these people were largely acting out of the need to survive. It doesn't excuse their theft, but it does explain it. The instinct for survival is one of the most powerful psychological 'instincts' that we have; it is no wonder it has come into play in such graphic scenes as those in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. However, a second psychological problem arises in these disasters. People have suffered a great loss. Even if the only loss is physical, rather than the death of a loved one, it is still a situation of grief. For many people their home is a signifier of their self. It represents part of our identity. Hence losing your home can lead to a grief process of anger, sadness and so on. But it can also lead to changes in self concept. Suddenly part of your self image is removed by such incidents. This means that those people who have lost their homes need to come to terms not only with their loss, but also to the changes in their self concept triggered by such a loss. It will clearly take several months for the area to physically get to terms with the effects of the hurricane. But it can take years for the emotional impacts to be resolved. Long term emotional problems can arise as a result of being caught up in hurricanes. In children, behavioural problems can occur and in adults there may even be physical symptoms including loss of appetite and and sleep disorders. Once the headlines disappear from the disruptions caused by Katrina, the people of the Southern States will be coping with the psychological trauma for many years to come. |
