Factors in the victim that mediate between disaster and psychopathology: A review

Abstract A review of the research literature is provided regarding vulnerability and psychological resource characteristics of the victim that mediate between disaster and psychopathology. Common generalizations about the effect of vulnerability variables such as age, gender, and previous level of functioning are seldom supported. Coping styles appear promising predictive variables. Attitude variables deserve further attention. More complex designs are suggested to determine interaction effects between disaster and victim variables.