Conservation of Resources in Individual and Community Reactions to Traumatic Stress

Abstract

Community stressors, such as natural and man-made disasters, major epidemics, famine, war, and political upheaval, are powerful events that impact individuals, families, and communities alike (Weisaeth, 1992). The number of community stressors that occur yearly is staggering. For example, Solomon and Green (1992) reported that approximately 2 million U.S. households experience injuries and physical damage each year from fire, floods, hurricanes, and the like. Freedy et al. (1993) reported that between 1974 and 1980 there were 37 major catastrophes in the United States alone. Furthermore, Vogel and Vernberg (1993) remind us that dozens of countriestrife at any one time. An individual’s reaction to extreme stress can lead to the development of individual psychopathology, family and relationship turmoil, substance abuse, and loss of employment (Kilpatrick et al., 1989; McFarlane, 1987; Resnick et al., 1993; Solomon et al., 1987). On the community level, such stress may mean the breakdown of social codes and networks, as well as increased disease and violence (Wallace, 1990; Wallace et al., 1992; Wardak, 1992). Additionally, the manner in which communities cope with such stressors has both short-term and long-term implications for individual community members, families, social institutions, and the community as a whole. Interventions have been developed for the previously mentioned individual reactions to trauma (e.g., Foa et al., 1989; Resick&Schnicke, 1993). However, little is known about the way communities manage such stressors and about the best ways to intervene communitywide after such events.