Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural Australian women
Abstract Objective: To evaluate the impact of drought on the mental health of rural Australian women and those in vulnerable sub‐populations: women who were more isolated, poorer and less educated; and women who had histories of chronic disease or poor mental health. Methods: Surveys were mailed in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2015-12-01
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| Series: | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12369 |
| _version_ | 1827842687436324864 |
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| author | Jennifer R. Powers Annette J. Dobson Helen L. Berry Anna M. Graves Ivan C. Hanigan Deborah Loxton |
| author_facet | Jennifer R. Powers Annette J. Dobson Helen L. Berry Anna M. Graves Ivan C. Hanigan Deborah Loxton |
| author_sort | Jennifer R. Powers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective: To evaluate the impact of drought on the mental health of rural Australian women and those in vulnerable sub‐populations: women who were more isolated, poorer and less educated; and women who had histories of chronic disease or poor mental health. Methods: Surveys were mailed in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2008 to 6,664 women born between 1946 and1951 who were participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The surveys included the Mental Health Index of the Medical Outcomes Study Short‐Form 36 (MHI). Drought was assessed by linking the latitude and longitude of women's place of residence at each survey to the Hutchinson Drought Index. Associations between MHI and drought were assessed using linear mixed‐models. Results: While 31% of the women experienced drought in 1998 and 50% experienced drought in 2007; experience of droughts was less common in the other years. Although drought varied from survey year to survey year, mental health did not vary with drought conditions for rural women or vulnerable sub‐populations. Conclusions: These findings are contrary to the long‐held assumption that droughts increase mental health problems in Australia. Implications: While similar results may not be true for men, empirical evidence (rather than assumptions) is required on associations between drought and mental health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T08:13:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d173823d563f43dbbdd7426abb96df79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1326-0200 1753-6405 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T08:13:13Z |
| publishDate | 2015-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-d173823d563f43dbbdd7426abb96df792023-09-02T19:04:30ZengElsevierAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health1326-02001753-64052015-12-0139651852310.1111/1753-6405.12369Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural Australian womenJennifer R. Powers0Annette J. Dobson1Helen L. Berry2Anna M. Graves3Ivan C. Hanigan4Deborah Loxton5Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing University of Newcastle New South WalesSchool of Population Health University of QueenslandFaculty of Health University of Canberra, Australian Capital TerritoryResearch Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing University of Newcastle New South WalesNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Australian National University, Australian Capital TerritoryResearch Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing University of Newcastle New South WalesAbstract Objective: To evaluate the impact of drought on the mental health of rural Australian women and those in vulnerable sub‐populations: women who were more isolated, poorer and less educated; and women who had histories of chronic disease or poor mental health. Methods: Surveys were mailed in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2008 to 6,664 women born between 1946 and1951 who were participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The surveys included the Mental Health Index of the Medical Outcomes Study Short‐Form 36 (MHI). Drought was assessed by linking the latitude and longitude of women's place of residence at each survey to the Hutchinson Drought Index. Associations between MHI and drought were assessed using linear mixed‐models. Results: While 31% of the women experienced drought in 1998 and 50% experienced drought in 2007; experience of droughts was less common in the other years. Although drought varied from survey year to survey year, mental health did not vary with drought conditions for rural women or vulnerable sub‐populations. Conclusions: These findings are contrary to the long‐held assumption that droughts increase mental health problems in Australia. Implications: While similar results may not be true for men, empirical evidence (rather than assumptions) is required on associations between drought and mental health.https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12369mental healthdroughtwomenvulnerable |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer R. Powers Annette J. Dobson Helen L. Berry Anna M. Graves Ivan C. Hanigan Deborah Loxton Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural Australian women Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health mental health drought women vulnerable |
| title | Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural Australian women |
| title_full | Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural Australian women |
| title_fullStr | Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural Australian women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural Australian women |
| title_short | Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural Australian women |
| title_sort | lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45 61 year old rural australian women |
| topic | mental health drought women vulnerable |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12369 |
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