Study shows natural disasters heighten depression risk among black women

People exposed to a disaster in their communities are likely to experience depression in the long-term with black Africans, women, those who are illiterate and the poor at greatest risk, a University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) study suggests.

Findings from a decade-long study of more than 17,000 South Africans, done in collaboration with international researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK, suggest exposure to cumulative community disaster was significantly associated with first onset of depression, even after controlling for multiple socio-demographic factors.

Researchers also found a significant likelihood of first depression onset among females, black Africans and individuals with lower education attainment or income due to cumulative community disaster.

The types of disaster exposure experienced by study participants were flood (40%), drought (28%), mass unrest due to xenophobia (18%), agricultural loss due to fire (10%), tornado (3%) and damaged road network due to rain (2%)..

Titled Community Disaster Exposure and First Onset of Depression: A Panel Analysis of Nationally Representative South African Data, 2008-2017 and published in PLOS Climate, it is the first study to establish the association between exposure to disaster and depression at a national scale in Africa.

Lead investigator Dr Andrew Tomita from UKZN’s school of nursing and public health said the findings are consistent with systematic review evidence that points to the depression challenges of individuals exposed to stressful and catastrophic events. He said the latest findings are not surprising, given the country’s historical context marked by the legacy of patriarchal social structures and persistent poverty.

“It is also not a surprise to find the association among certain socially vulnerable populations given persistent gender inequality and poverty in SA.”

Co-author of the study and leading authority in environmental governance in SA, Prof Rob Slotow, emphasised the need for a sustainable development policy and the implementation of a broad disaster risk reduction plan “to help protect socially vulnerable individuals from the consequence of disasters and empower communities which support those affected”.

Researchers used data from the SA National Income Dynamics Study from 2008–2017, which had 17,255 adult study participants who were depression-free at baseline. Risk of first depression onset between individuals exposed and unexposed to community disaster was measured.

Researchers noted that given Africa’s unprecedented disasters that include climate change, which is expected to exacerbate the frequency and severity of stressful catastrophic events, Africans remain more vulnerable to depression.

Although cumulative community disaster exposure is significantly associated with the first onset of depression, researchers argued its negative impact may be more pronounced among individuals considered chronically socially vulnerable, such as black people and women. SA had the continent’s third-highest number of natural disaster events since 2000 (54 events), with two of the most devastating drought events of the century in 2004 and affecting about 15-million people.

Researchers argued the potentially greater number and severity of natural disasters in Africa than elsewhere in the world may further aggravate fragile public healthcare systems and diminish the availability of mental health care. As a leading cause of disability globally, depression affects about 10% of people in SA with only 4% accessing the inpatient and outpatient mental health care they need.

“Given that many individuals in SA rely on social and food parcel relief and health services from government, timely access to community-based supportive intervention is needed for disaster survivors, prioritising socially vulnerable groups to help mitigate problems associated with mental health challenges,” researchers said.

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