This project is funded by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, Northern NSW Local Health District, Western Sydney University and Wollongong University. It is supported by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet and Public Health England. There is also a community-academic partnership with around 60 Northern Rivers groups and organisations steering all aspects of the study. The partnership included all local councils, ACON, Resilient Lismore, the Salvos, Social Futures, Healthy North Coast, the Winsome, Lifeline, Rekindling the Spirit, Interrelate, Red Cross, NSW SES, North Coast Community Housing, Thrive 2484 and Lismore Chamber of Commerce.
The project commenced in April 2017 and is ongoing.
Building our understanding of how the floods impacted mental health and wellbeing will strengthen our ability to prepare for future natural disasters, which are likely to happen more often with climate change. In order to do this, we focused on:
- Measuring the impact on mental health and wellbeing of residents (16 years and older) in Northern Rivers’ communities six months after the April 2017 flood.
- Examining relationships between mental health and wellbeing and the degree of flood impact; perceptions of the adequacy of the pre-flood mitigation/warning systems and relief service response (government, community and insurance organisations); and level of personal and community resilience.
- Examining in a rural context the degree of mental health distress by different exposure groups (flooded/ disrupted without flooding/unaffected) and in particular vulnerable groups including the homeless, older people, young adults, Aboriginal people, farmers, and business owners.
- Assessing anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to better inform existing and future service provision required in response to natural disasters.
The key findings include:
- The flood damaged our survey respondents’ mental health and wellbeing. The more exposed to the flood they were eg having flood water in their home/yard/business, being displaced from home, the worse the mental health and wellbeing impacts were.
- Some respondents were more likely to be exposed to the flood and had worse mental health and wellbeing outcomes, including those living in socioeconomic disadvantage; those identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community; those living with disability; and those identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
- Many respondents had peritraumatic experiences (eg thinking a loved one might be badly injured, or their life was in danger) and those respondents had a much higher risk of having probable post-traumatic stress disorder at the six month mark.
- At the two-year follow up respondents showed little change in their mental health and wellbeing outcomes. Secondary stressors like insurance disputes, persistent damage in their home or business, mould, and relationship problems or illness strongly predicted mental health and wellbeing outcomes.
The findings have been of key importance locally, nationally and internationally. They have been used to advocate for policy and practice change, the subject of numerous interactions with the media, presentations and publications, and submissions to Royal Commissions and inquiries.
Luk M, Longman J. Young people’s experiences of the Northern Rivers 2017 flood and its effects on their mental health. Australian Journal of Rural Health 2024;32:343-53. doi: http://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.13095
Longman J, Rahman K, Matthews V, et al. Flooding, displacement, peritraumatic experience and disaster-related PTSD in northern New South Wales–The critical need for quality data to plan mental health support. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2023;57(12):1580-82. http://doi.org/10.1177/00048674231203901
Bailie J, Longman J, Villeneuve M. (2023) Submission to The Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience. Submission Number 103. University Centre for Rural Health, Lismore NSW.
McKenzie, J.W.; Longman, J.M.; Bailie, R.; Braddon, M.; Morgan, G.G.; Jegasothy, E.; Bennett-Levy, J. Insurance Issues as Secondary Stressors Following Flooding in Rural Australia—A Mixed Methods Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022,19,6383
Jodie Bailie, Veronica Matthews, Ross Bailie, Michelle Villeneuve, Jo Longman. Exposure to risk and experiences of river flooding for people with disability and carers in rural Australia: a cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open. Published 26 May 2022
Jodie Bailie, Jo Longman Michelle Villeneuve, Ross Bailie Homeless and looking for help – why people with disability and their carers fare worse after floods. Published 15 March 2022
Jodie Bailie, Jo Longman, Michelle Villeneuve, Ross Bailie, Veronica Matthews. Floods can worsen inequality. Here are 4 ways we can ensure people with disabilities aren’t left behind. The Conversation. Published: 15 April 2021
Matthews, V., et al. (2020). Belonging and Inclusivity Make a Resilient Future for All: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Post-Flood Social Capital in a Diverse Australian Rural Community. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17(20): 7676
King, J., et al. (2020). Disruptions and mental-health outcomes following cyclone Debbie [online]. Australian Journal of Emergency Management 35(3): 62-70
Rolfe, M. I., Pit, S. W., McKenzie, J. W., Longman, J., Matthews, V., Bailie, R., & Morgan, G. G. (2020). Social vulnerability in a high-risk flood-affected rural region of NSW, Australia. Natural Hazards, 101, 631-650.
Fitzgerald, K. C., Pit, S. W., Rolfe, M., McKenzie, J., Matthews, V., Longman, J., & Bailie, R. (2020). Cross sectional analysis of depression amongst Australian rural business owners following cyclone-related flooding. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, 15, 1-15
Matthews, V., Longman, J., Berry, H. L., Passey, M., Bennett-Levy, J., Morgan, G., . . . Bailie, R. (2019). Differential mental health impact six months after extensive river flooding in rural Australia: a cross-sectional analysis through an equity lens. Frontiers in public health, 7, 367
Longman, J. M., Bennett-Levy, J., Matthews, V., Berry, H. L., Passey, M. E., Rolfe, M., . . . Bailie, R. (2019). Rationale and methods for a cross-sectional study of mental health and wellbeing following river flooding in rural Australia, using a community-academic partnership approach. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 1255
Other:
The way to prepare for disaster is by strengthening democracy: The role of local knowledges and social infrastructure – ABC Religion & Ethics
Stories are the toolkit – Sydney Environment Institute
