Effects of climate-related disasters on loneliness, social support, social functioning, and social contacts: longitudinal analyses of impact and recovery

Abstract

Climate-related changes and disasters may disrupt relationships and ties. Drawing on 10 years of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) surveys, we examine the effects of climate-related disasters on loneliness, social support, social functioning, and social contacts with friends and family. By matching respondents who experienced a disaster with a control cohort of similar characteristics before the event, we find being exposed to a climate-related disaster is associated with an increase in loneliness and a decrease in social functioning the year of the event, and up to 2 years afterwards. We also find lower levels of reported social support, with the effec..