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- Original Article Identifying factors associated with mental health status following climate-related disasters: a nationwide longitudinal panel study in Korea
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Eunjin Oh1
, Jaelim Cho2,3,4
, Changsoo Kim2,3,4
, Hyungryul Lim1
, Kyoung-Nam Kim2
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Epidemiol Health 2025;47e2025014-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025014
Published online: March 27, 2025
2Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
3Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
4Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
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Corresponding author:
Hyungryul Lim,
Email: matrixlhr@ajou.ac.kr
Kyoung-Nam Kim,
Email: kknload@yuhs.ac
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Despite the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters, identifying factors associated with mental health status remains challenging. This study aimed to determine the factors linked to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following heavy rainfall and typhoons.
METHODS
National data on climate-related disaster victims (n=825 for heavy rainfall and n=1,220 for typhoon) from a longitudinal panel in Korea (“Long-term Survey on the Change of Life of Disaster Victims”) and data from individuals unaffected by disasters (n=893) were used. Generalized linear mixed models were employed to evaluate the factors associated with mental health status following climate-related disasters.
RESULTS
Greater disaster severity (e.g., experiencing casualties or asset loss) was associated with higher scores for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), and PTSD (Impact Event Scale-Revised). The association between casualty experience and anxiety score was more pronounced among individuals over 65 years (β [log-transformed score], 1.39; standard error [SE], 0.26; p<0.001), female respondents (β, 1.20; SE, 0.20; p<0.001), those with a low education level (β, 1.18; SE, 0.25; p<0.001), and those with a low income (β, 1.45; SE, 0.26; p<0.001) compared to their counterparts.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings may help guide targeted interventions and shape public health policies and disaster management strategies that prioritize mental health support for the most at-risk populations, ultimately increasing community resilience to climate-related challenges.
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