The Role of Social Support in the Prevention and Recovery of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Vulnerable Populations Following Natural Disasters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis of Empirical Studies.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70471/ga28rs36Keywords:
Social Support, PTSD, Natural Disasters, Psychological Recovery, Community-Based Therapy.Abstract
This study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-synthesis on the role of social support in the prevention and recovery of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in vulnerable populations following natural disasters. Natural disasters can cause profound psychological impacts, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, women, and the elderly. Social support has been shown to be an effective protective factor in reducing PTSD symptoms and accelerating psychological recovery post-disaster. This review includes 18 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025, employing various research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. The findings indicate that emotional support from family, friends, and communities plays a significant role in reducing PTSD symptoms, while social support-based therapies, such as group play therapy, have also proven effective, especially for children affected by disasters. However, despite the effectiveness of social support, significant challenges remain, including limited access to mental health services and stigma surrounding mental health issues in disaster-affected areas. This study recommends strengthening community-based social support systems and further research on the long-term impacts of social support in PTSD recovery.
Downloads
References
Anderson, G. S., Di Nota, P. M., Groll, D., & Carleton, R. N. (2020). Peer support and crisis-focused psychological interventions designed to mitigate post-traumatic stress injuries among public safety and frontline healthcare personnel: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20), 7645. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207645
Budosan, B., O'Hanlon, K. P., & Aziz, S. (2014). Improving access to community-based mental health care and psychosocial support within a disaster context: a case study from Haiti. Disaster Health, 2(1), 25-34. https://doi.org/10.4161/dish.27805
Cohen, E., Gadassi, R., & Osher, Y. (2018). The function of play for coping and therapy with children exposed to disasters and political violence. Current Psychiatry Reports, 20(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0895-x
Dai, W., Chen, L., Tan, H., Wang, J., Lai, Z., Kaminga, A. C., Li, Y., & Liu, A. (2016). Association between social support and recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder after flood: A 13–14 year follow-up study in Hunan, China. BMC Public Health, 16, 194. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03317-4
Fisher, E. B., Miller, S. M., Evans, M., Luu, S. L., Tang, P. Y., Dreyer Valovcin, D., & Castellano, C. (2020). COVID-19, stress, trauma, and peer support—observations from the field. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 10(3), 503-505. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibaa056
Galvan, M. S., Lueke, A. E., Mansfield, L. T. E., & Smith, C. A. (2021). A systematic research review: How to best treat post-traumatic stress disorder in children post-natural disaster. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 31(6), 701-715. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2020.1804513
Jacobs, J., Oosterbeek, M., Tummers, L. G., Noordegraaf, M., Yzermans, C. J., & Dückers, M. L. (2019). The organization of post-disaster psychosocial support in the Netherlands: A meta-synthesis. European journal of psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1544024. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2018.1544024
Kardo, R., Mulyani, R. R., & Yulastri, W. (2022). Play Therapy as a Trauma Healing Effort in Children Victims of The Earthquake in Nagari Nagari Pasaman. Human: Journal of Community and Public Service, 1(2).
Ladrido-Ignacio, L., & Perlas, A. P. (1995). From victims to survivors: Psychosocial intervention in disaster management in the Philippines. International Journal of Mental Health, 24(4), 3-51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207411.1995.11449321
Lai, B. S., Osborne, M. C., Piscitello, J., Self-Brown, S., & Kelley, M. L. (2018). The relationship between social support and posttraumatic stress symptoms among youth exposed to a natural disaster. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 9(sup2), 1450042. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2018.1450042
Pertiwiwati, E., Maulana, I., Zahra, F. A., & Yuliana, I. (2021). Play therapy as a method of trauma healing in PTSD children victims of flood disaster in West Martapura, South Kalimantan. Berkala Kedokteran, 17(2), 125-132. http://dx.doi.org/10.20527/jbk.v17i2.11673
Powell, T., & Holleran-Steiker, L. K. (2017). Supporting children after a disaster: A case study of a psychosocial school-based intervention. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45(2), 176-188.
https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10615-015-0557-y
Rusmana, N., Hafina, A., & Suryana, D. (2020). Group play therapy for preadolescents: Post-traumatic stress disorder of natural disaster victims in Indonesia. The Open Psychology Journal, 13, 213-222. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874350102013010213
Schonfeld, D. J., Demaria, T., Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council and Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, Krug, S. E., Chung, S., Fagbuyi, D. B., ... & Wissow, L. S. (2015). Providing psychosocial support to children and families in the aftermath of disasters and crises. Pediatrics, 136(4), e1120-e1130. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-2861
Seto, M., Nemoto, H., Kobayashi, N., Kikuchi, S., Honda, N., Kim, Y., ... & Tomita, H. (2019). Post-disaster mental health and psychosocial support in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake: A qualitative study. BMC psychiatry, 19(1), 261. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2243-z
Stephens, C., & Long, N. (1999). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the New Zealand police: The moderating role of social support following traumatic stress. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 12(3), 247-264. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615809908250477
Thordardottir, E. B., Gudmundsdottir, B., Petursdottir, G., Valdimarsdottir, U. A., & Hauksdottir, A. (2018). Psychosocial support after natural disasters in Iceland-implementation and utilization. International journal of disaster risk reduction, 27, 642-648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.11.006
Topal, S., Yalnızoğlu Çaka, S., Uysal, G., Alabay, E., Demir, Y., & Cömertoğlu Arslan, S. (2025). The effect of therapeutic play-based intervention programme applied to earthquake victim preschool children on psychosocial well-being: A randomised controlled trial. BMC Psychology, 13, 981. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03317-4
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Putri Alita (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
