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Resilience and mental health impacts of natural disasters in India

factors. Our review suggests a high degree of concordance among the identified literature, leaving a strong impression of
increased risk for adverse mental health impacts associated with drought. Indian farmers continue to suffer regularly from
drought, a frequent natural disaster that has profound effects both individually and collectively. Successive droughts and
low agricultural productivity are a blow to the regular income sources of farmers. This has caused many farmers in recent
decades to take the extreme step of ending their lives. Farmer suicides, due to droughts and related consequences, have
emerged as an important area of concern in recent decades in India (Kalamkar and Shroff, 2011; Bharti, 2011).
Drought affects employment and income of farmers and leads to indebtedness, and is counted as one of the major
reasons for suicides (Udmale, Ichikawa, Manandhar, et al., 2014; Patel, Mathew, Nanda, et al., 2019). In 2014, around
5650 farmers committed suicide in India, of which 20.6% was due to indebtedness and 16.8% due to the failure of crops.
Crop loss, chit funds, debt burden, property disputes, daughter’s marriage, and illness of family members are among the
reasons for farmer suicides in Karnataka (Deshpande, 2002). One of the reasons for reduced yield/profitability among
cotton farmers in Vidarbha that had increased suicides post-1995 was the shortage of water (Mishra, 2006). In Karnataka,
farmers have to grapple with drought conditions and paucity of rain, and a high number of suicide victims had rain-fed
lands (Deshpande, 2002). Here, it is important to understand the cycle which farmers affected by droughts go through
and eventually decide to end their lives. Undoubtedly, they were depressed, psychotic, and impulsive, accompanied by
a pervasive sense of suffering and hopelessness, as well as a desire to escape from the situation that has arisen due to
successive droughts and indebtedness. The study conducted in Odisha showed that besides the impact of droughts on
livelihoods, food security, and physical health, the mental health of people was also impacted in the process. People are
under tremendous mental pressure to meet the basic requirements of the family (Patel, 2018b).

3.3. Floods and Mental Health
Floods are the most commonly occurring natural disasters globally. It is not unusual then that among all-natural disasters,
floods have affected the largest number of countries. In the post-2005 period, 47% of weather-related disasters globally
were caused by floods, thereby affecting 2.3 billion people. In Asia and the Pacific region, 3.35 billion people were
affected by floods between 1970 and 2013, which is higher than other natural disasters in the region. The economic losses
caused by floods amounted to USD 370 billion, which is the second highest in the region after a combined loss of USD
472 billion caused by earthquakes and tsunamis (UNESCAP, 2015). In addition to economic losses, detrimental short-,
medium-, and long-term effects on well-being, relationships, and physical and mental health are common. While most
people who are involved in disasters recover with the support of their families, friends, and colleagues, the effects on some
people’s health, relationships, and welfare can be extensive and sustained.
Flooding can lead to substantial social and mental health problems that may continue over extended periods of time.
Flooding can challenge the psychosocial resilience of the hardiest of people who are affected. It is important to understand
the effects of being separated from family and friends, disruption to family life and daily routine, the loss of pets and
possessions, and moving to temporary accommodation, all of which can have an effect on the mental health of children.
Symptoms can include separation anxiety; irregular sleeping patterns/nightmares; behavioral problems such as becoming
withdrawn, increased aggression, bedwetting; and development of habit-forming behaviors such as routines/rituals about
washing; and academic performance may suffer. Across the world, numerous studies have demonstrated that floods have
impacted people psychologically. Floods have a range of impacts on physical and mental health. Women suffered from
malnutrition due to food shortages after floods in Bangladesh. They were also subjected to mental torture, verbal abuse,
domestic violence, and sexual harassment. Their vulnerability was increased due to the paucity of clothing and fuelwood
(Azad, Hossain, and Nasreen, 2013). Flooding can lead to bereavement, behavioral issues in children, substance misuse,
and even worsen mental health status (Stanke, Murray, Amlôt, et al., 2012; Lock, Rubin, Murray, et al., 2012). An
epidemiological review by Health Protection Agency indicates that children and the elderly exhibit higher vulnerability to
mental diseases as they depend on people of working age in terms of how they cope with floods. A study done in England
indicates that people who were relocated due to floods and people with low earnings have a higher likelihood of severe
mental health deterioration such as flashbacks, increased anger, and sleeplessness (Lamond, Joseph, and Proverbs, 2015
2015). Another study indicates that there is a higher likelihood of developing anxiety and PTSD among people who are
displaced after flooding (odds ratio for depression 2.0 [95% confidence interval 1.3-2.9], for anxiety 1.7 [1.1-2.5], and for
PTSD 1.7 [1.2-2.5]) than people who were not displaced (Munro, Kovats, Rubin, et al., 2017).
Floods in India ranked seventh in terms of the number of deaths and economic damage caused in 2015, and the
second-highest number of victims at 13.71 million people (Guha-Sapir, Hoyois, and Below, 2016). More than 40 million
hectares or nearly 12% of land in India is prone to floods and river erosion (NDMA, 2009b). Multiple factors that affect
key aspects of the lives of people also cause mental stress. Several studies have highlighted the impact of floods on the

86 International Journal of Population Studies | 2020, Volume 6, Issue 1