scholarly journals Preventing social isolation: Otsuchi town after the Great East Japan Earthquake

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Ryoichi Nitanai ◽  
Jun Goto
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake

scholarly journals Leadership and Factors Enabled the “Group Allocation” which Preserved Pre-existing Local Social Ties in Prefabricated Temporary Housing After Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE)

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s145-s145
Author(s):  
Kanako Masuno ◽  
Ken Osaka ◽  
Jun Aida ◽  
Yuichi Uchiumi ◽  
Tsuneaki Iguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Temporary Housing ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Group Allocation

Introduction:Social isolation and death alone in the prefabricated temporary housing after a disaster has been a social concern. The importance of social ties among the community has been suggested and several reports pointed out the positive effect of “group allocation” which preserves pre-existing local social ties compared to the “lottery allocation”.Japan Red Cross Society recommended “group allocation” as a better option than “lottery allocation” on their guidelines. However, many municipalities carried out “lottery allocation” for temporary housing arrangement after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE).Aim:To collect the information about the accelerating factors and bottlenecks when practicing the “group allocation”.Method:In-depth interview was conducted between August and November 2013. Interviewees were the professionals of disaster management, individuals who were involved in arranging the prefabricated housing and the residents. This research was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology in Japan.Results:This study found the municipality which carried out “group allocation” had characteristics such as: (1.) the staff in charge of housing arrangement had the information about the positive effect of “group allocation”, and (2.) pre-existing community leaders were able to gather residents’ opinions, and citizens were involved in the decision making to some content.Discussion:Although this study is based on the experience of a limited number of key persons, it would be useful to give the insight about the possible bottleneck for the practitioners who will be in charge of housing arrangement under the disaster setting in future. Also, the relevancy and evidence about “group allocation” should be carefully examined in the context of preventing social isolation as well as various long-term effects. It would be essential that the knowledge and experience will be accumulated and shared between municipalities in a usable and comparable format.

scholarly journals Living Condition Relating to Social Isolation and Suicidal Thoughts Over 65 Years Old Living in Prefabricated Temporary Housing After the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE)

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s146-s147
Author(s):  
Kanako Masuno ◽  
Rika Ohtsuka ◽  
Kamada Nobuko
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Living Condition ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Temporary Housing ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Potential Factors

Introduction:The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and subsequent devastating tsunami struck the northeastern coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. According to the previous studies about displaced evacuees, increases in suicide rates and social isolation (especially among older adults) have been reported. However, the living condition of residents at prefabricated temporary housing after GEJE is unclear.Aim:To explore potential factors which might relate to social isolation and suicidal thoughts among older adults by using a qualitative method.Methods:Inclusion criteria for this study were older adults over 65 years living in prefabricated temporary housing since the GEJE. Data were collected by face-to-face-interviews with semi-structured questionnaire between October and December 2014. The protocol of this study was approved by the Ethics Board of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology. This research was supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan (No.H25-iryou-shitei-003).Results:Twenty older adults participated in the study. Most of them had been engaged in agriculture or fishery and experienced the sudden loss of family members, friends, and property in the aftermath of the GEJE. Findings indicated that social connections formed through the collective construction of prefabricated temporary housing. The study found that individuals who had less emotional and financial support experienced a greater feeling of sadness, social isolation, and suicidal thoughts. The study also suggested that people who live in temporary housing are strongly affected by economic insecurity and that it aggravates the risks for social isolation and psychological distress.Discussion:Although there were limitations regarding standardization and compatibility, this research found that the qualitative method can obtain the data which the quantitative method cannot reach. Scale-up of universal guidelines including the knowledge from qualitative research and case report under the devastating disaster setting is anticipated for better evidence base for next coming disaster.

scholarly journals Longitudinal association between time-varying social isolation and psychological distress after the Great East Japan Earthquake

2016 ◽  
Vol 152 ◽  
pp. 96-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshimasa Sone ◽  
Naoki Nakaya ◽  
Yumi Sugawara ◽  
Yasutake Tomata ◽  
Takashi Watanabe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Longitudinal Association

scholarly journals Moving from prefabricated temporary housing to public reconstruction housing and social isolation after the Great East Japan Earthquake: a longitudinal study using propensity score matching

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e026354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuya Sekiguchi ◽  
Yoshihiro Hagiwara ◽  
Yumi Sugawara ◽  
Yasutake Tomata ◽  
Fumiya Tanji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Propensity Score Analysis ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Temporary Housing ◽  
Score Analysis ◽  
Socially Isolated

ObjectivesAfter the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) of 2011, many survivors have been forced to live in prefabricated temporary housing, which is uncomfortable and insufficiently durable for permanent living. Public reconstruction housing has been built to improve their living conditions; however, those moving have to rebuild personal relationships and adapt to a new environment. This study examined whether survivors moving to public reconstruction housing became more socially isolated than those remaining in prefabricated temporary housing.Design, setting and participantsSelf-report questionnaire data collected in 2015 (4 years after the GEJE) were used as the baseline for follow-up surveys in 2016 and 2017, as many survivors moved from prefabricated temporary housing to public reconstruction housing from 2015. We analysed longitudinal data from 393 survivors, distinguishing those who moved to public reconstruction housing during the 5th year after the disaster from those who remained in prefabricated temporary housing. Participants were assessed using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) in all three surveys, with social isolation defined by a score of <12/30. To reduce the effect of selection bias, propensity score analysis was performed (178 of 393 participants were retained). We used a generalised estimated equation to evaluate the association between moving from prefabricated temporary housing to public reconstruction housing and changes in social isolation over 2 years.ResultsLSNS-6 scores of the reconstruction housing group were worse than those of the prefabricated housing group between 4 and 6 years after the GEJE (P=0.006). Over the same period, social isolation worsened in the reconstruction housing group but improved in the prefabricated housing group (P=0.002).ConclusionsSocial isolation should be monitored while supporting survivors who moved to public reconstruction housing, and further longitudinal research is needed to clarify the risk of social isolation.

scholarly journals Association between the social isolation and depressive symptoms after the great East Japan earthquake: findings from the baseline survey of the TMM CommCohort study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuka Kotozaki ◽  
Kozo Tanno ◽  
Kiyomi Sakata ◽  
Eri Takusari ◽  
Kotaro Otsuka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
The Social ◽  
Males And Females

Abstract Background Social isolation and mental health issues have become a severe problem in disaster areas in the Great East Japan Earthquake. This study examined whether the combination of the house damage and social isolation or the combination of the death of family members and social isolation is associated with depressive symptoms among survivors using the baseline study data of the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Community-Based Cohort Study (TMM CommCohort Study). Methods We used cross-sectional data from a baseline survey of 48,958 participants (18,423 males, 30,535 females; aged 60.1 ± 11.2 years) to examine the association between social isolation measured by the Lubben social network scale 6 (LSNS-6) and depressive symptoms measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depressive Scale (CES-D). The presence of social isolation and depressive symptoms was defined by an LSNS-6 score of < 12 and a CES-D score of ≥16, respectively. We performed a logistic regression analysis to determine the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) [AOR (95% CI)] for depressive symptoms according to sex in the social isolation in comparison to without social isolation, and the associations of the combination of the house damage or the death of family members and social isolation and depressive symptoms. Results Social isolation was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (males: OR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.72–2.04, females: OR = 2.13; 95% CI = 2.00–2.26). Both males and females respondents with severe house damage and social isolation had a greater risk of depressive symptoms in comparison to those with an undamaged house and without social isolation (males: OR = 3.40; 95% CI = 2.73–4.24, females: OR = 2.92; 95% CI = 2.46–3.46). The risk of depressive symptoms was also higher in both males and females respondents with the death of family members and social isolation in comparison to those without the death of family members and without social isolation (males: OR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.90–2.50, females: OR = 2.60; 95% CI = 2.35–2.88). Conclusion The findings suggested that a combination of social isolation and severe house damage and the death of family members caused by a large-scale natural disaster was associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms although the interaction was not statistically significant.

Risk of Social Isolation Among Great East Japan Earthquake Survivors Living in Tsunami-Affected Ishinomaki, Japan

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Machiko Inoue ◽  
Shoko Matsumoto ◽  
Kazue Yamaoka ◽  
Shinsuke Muto
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Rental Housing ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Family Interactions ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Miyagi Prefecture ◽  
Physical And Psychological Health

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami affected approximately 53 000 people in the city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. Approximately 30 000 people were relocated to temporary/rental housing. The remainder re-inhabited tsunami-affected houses, and their conditions were not known. As social isolation could affect physical and psychological health, we investigated the risk of social isolation among the survivors who returned to their homes.MethodsThe surveyors went door-to-door to the tsunami-affected houses and interviewed each household between October 2011 and March 2012. The participants’ risk of social isolation was assessed using 3 factors: whether they have (1) friends to talk with about their problems, (2) close neighbors, and (3) social/family interactions. We analyzed the groups at risk of social isolation and identified the related factors.ResultsThe elderly (older than age 65 years) were more likely to have close neighbors and social/family interactions, as compared with younger persons. Persons living alone were less likely to have social/family interactions. Non-elderly men who were living alone were the highest proportion of people without social/family interactions.ConclusionsOur findings suggested that men, particularly those younger than age 65 years and living alone, were at high risk of social isolation and may need attention. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-8)

Motives for Social Isolation Following a Negative Emotional Episode

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-131
Author(s):  
Gérald Delelis ◽  
Véronique Christophe
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Affiliation ◽  
Semantic Categorization ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Cognitive Regulation ◽  
Emotional Event ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Emotional Events

Abstract. After experiencing an emotional event, people either seek out others’ presence (social affiliation) or avoid others’ presence (social isolation). The determinants and effects of social affiliation are now well-known, but social psychologists have not yet thoroughly studied social isolation. This study aims to ascertain which motives and corresponding regulation strategies participants report for social isolation following negative emotional events. A group of 96 participants retrieved from memory an actual negative event that led them to temporarily socially isolate themselves and freely listed up to 10 motives for social isolation. Through semantic categorization of the 423 motives reported by the participants, we found that “cognitive clarification” and “keeping one’s distance” – that is, the need for cognitive regulation and the refusal of socioaffective regulation, respectively – were the most commonly and quickly reported motives for social isolation. We discuss the findings in terms of ideas for future studies aimed at clarifying the role of social isolation in health situations.

The Need to Belong and the Relationship Between Loneliness and Health

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 194-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freda-Marie Hartung ◽  
Britta Renner
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
First Year ◽  
Health State ◽  
Need To Belong ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Perceived Social Isolation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Humans are social animals; consequently, a lack of social ties affects individuals’ health negatively. However, the desire to belong differs between individuals, raising the question of whether individual differences in the need to belong moderate the impact of perceived social isolation on health. In the present study, 77 first-year university students rated their loneliness and health every 6 weeks for 18 weeks. Individual differences in the need to belong were found to moderate the relationship between loneliness and current health state. Specifically, lonely students with a high need to belong reported more days of illness than those with a low need to belong. In contrast, the strength of the need to belong had no effect on students who did not feel lonely. Thus, people who have a strong need to belong appear to suffer from loneliness and become ill more often, whereas people with a weak need to belong appear to stand loneliness better and are comparatively healthy. The study implies that social isolation does not impact all individuals identically; instead, the fit between the social situation and an individual’s need appears to be crucial for an individual’s functioning.

Re-Increased Male Suicide Rates in the Recovery Phase Following the Great East Japan Earthquake

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 422-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masatsugu Orui
Keyword(s):  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Recovery Phase ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Temporary Housing ◽  
Period Analysis ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Male Suicide ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Difference

Abstract. Background: Monitoring of suicide rates in the recovery phase following a devastating disaster has been limited. Aim: We report on a 7-year follow-up of the suicide rates in the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred in March 2011. Method: This descriptive study covered the period from March 2009 to February 2018. Period analysis was used to divide the 108-month study period into nine segments, in which suicide rates were compared with national averages using Poisson distribution. Results: Male suicide rates in the affected area from March 2013 to February 2014 increased to a level higher than the national average. After subsequently dropping, the male rates from March 2016 to February 2018 re-increased and showed a greater difference compared with the national averages. The difference became significant in the period from March 2017 to February 2018 ( p = .047). Limitations: Specific reasons for increasing the rates in the recovery phase were not determined. Conclusion: The termination of the provision of free temporary housing might be influential in this context. Provision of temporary housing was terminated from 2016, which increased economic hardship among needy evacuees. Furthermore, disruption of the social connectedness in the temporary housing may have had an influence. Our findings suggest the necessity of suicide rate monitoring even in the recovery phase.

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