Supplemental Research Bulletin, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
This Supplemental Research Bulletin focuses on mental health and substance use (behavioral health) conditions in children and adolescents following exposure to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Each year, natural disasters affect an average of 224 million individuals worldwide, and about 85.2 million in North America. In the United States, the average number of natural disasters per year over the past decade was 21.5, making the United States one of the top five countries in the world in terms of how frequently it was hit by natural disasters (Guha-Sapir, Hoyois, Wallemacq, & Below, 2017). Researchers have found mental health problems and conditions including depression, anxiety, and general distress in disaster survivors of all ages (Norris et al., 2002).
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