Exploring the prevalence and predictors of low resilience and likely PTSD in residents of two provinces in Canada during the 2023 wildfires

Medard K Adu; Reham Shalaby; Belinda Agyapong; Raquel da Luz Dias; Vincent I O Agyapong

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1343399

Exploring the prevalence and predictors of low resilience and likely PTSD in residents of two provinces in Canada during the 2023 wildfires

Front Public Health. 2024 Mar 25:12:1343399. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1343399. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Medard K Adu¹, Reham Shalaby², Belinda Agyapong², Raquel da Luz Dias¹, Vincent I O Agyapong^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
² Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Abstract

Background: The recent wildfires in Canada serve as a stark example of the substantial and enduring harm they cause to the health of individuals and communities. Assessing the prevalence and correlates of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and low resilience is valuable for policymakers in public health.

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of low resilience and likely PTSD among subscribers of Text4Hope, an e-mental health program that delivered daily supportive messages to residents of Nova Scotia (NS) and Alberta(AB) during the recent wildfires.

Method: Data collection was through a self-administered online survey completed by residents of the affected regions of NS and AB from May 14 to June 23, 2023. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.

Results: Out of 298 respondents, the prevalence of low resilience and likely PTSD in our sample were 52.0 and 39.3%, respectively. Unemployed respondents were about 3 times more likely to experience both low resilience and PTSD symptoms compared to those employed. Respondents with a history of mental health diagnosis were about 4 times more likely to experience likely PTSD compared to those with no history of mental health diagnosis.

Conclusion: This study established that unemployment and a history of mental health diagnosis predicted likely PTSD, while unemployment was associated with low resilience during the wildfire. These findings offer insights for clinical interventions and the creation of psychosocial support programs for vulnerable populations.

Keywords: disaster; mental illness; post traumatic stress disorders; resilience; wildfires.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Canada
Humans
Prevalence
Resilience, Psychological*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / epidemiology
Wildfires*

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by grants from the Alberta Mental Health Foundation, the Global Psychological eHealth Foundation, and the QEII Foundation. The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study.