The Emotional Cost of Distance: Geographic Social Network Dispersion and Distress among Survivors of Hurricane Katrina

• In Event: 230 - Section on Sociology of Mental Health Paper Session. Social Relationships and Mental Health

Abstract

This paper contributes to literature on the effects of social networks and support on psychological health in the wake of a natural disaster. Drawing from survey and interview data on survivors’ core discussion networks, we document the mechanisms by which social network characteristics predict psychological health. We use data from the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) Project, a mixed-methods, longitudinal study examining the long-term effects of Hurricane Katrina on low-income mothers from New Orleans, Louisiana. Baseline surveys were conducted approximately one year before and follow-up surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted 43-56 months after the storm. Analyzing survey data, we find that the geographic distance to respondents’ core discussion network members is positively associated with the likelihood of post-traumatic stress when controlling for individual-level demographic characteristics, exposure to hurricane-related trauma, and perceived social support. Analyzing interview data, we find that respondents reporting distant core discussion network ties are still likely to report other supportive family, friends, and neighbors living nearby. However, they describe these ties as substantively distinct and report continued feelings of obligation to distant ties listed in the survey data. These results indicate the importance of physical proximity to emotionally intimate ties within the core discussion network for long-term psychological recovery.

Authors

• Katherine Ann Morris, Harvard University

• Nicole Deterding, University of Wisconsin-Madison