Social Network Disturbances and Psychological Distress following Earthquake Evacuation

The relationship between social network disturbances following earthquake evacuation and self-reported psychological distress (reduced version of the SCL-90-R) 3 to 4 years later was studied among 817 Italian male factory workers. Increased distress was reported by permanently relocated men, while those who were evacuated, but returned to their original homes, reported distress levels comparable to their nonevacuated co-workers. Additionally, among evacuated men, only those whose relocation placed them at an increased distance from family and/or friends reported distress levels higher than the nonevacuated. Change in visiting frequency with family and/or friends following evacuation was not related to distress. Although these data are correlational and cross-sectional, they are consistent with the hypothesis that disaster related distress is, in part, a function of resulting social network disruption.