Articles | Volume 24, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2837-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2837-2024
Research article
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23 Aug 2024
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 23 Aug 2024

Always on my mind: indications of post-traumatic stress disorder among those affected by the 2021 flood event in the Ahr valley, Germany

Marie-Luise Zenker, Philip Bubeck, and Annegret H. Thieken

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Cited articles

Alfieri, L., Burek, P., Feyen, L., and Forzieri, G.: Global warming increases the frequency of river floods in Europe, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 2247–2260, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2247-2015, 2015. 
American Psychiatric Association (Ed.): Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., ISBN 0-89042-061-0, 1994. 
Apel, D. and Coenen, M.: Mental health and health-related quality of life in victims of the 2013 flood disaster in Germany – A longitudinal study of health-related flood consequences and evaluation of institutionalized low-threshold psycho-social support, Int. J. Disast. Risk Re., 58, 102179, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102179, 2021. 
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Executive editor
This paper fills a knowledge gap concerning the mental health implications following devastating flood disasters. The authors use a household-level survey to investigate risk and protective factors of post-traumatic stress disorder experienced in conjunction with the major event in the Ahr Valley, Germany, in July 2021.
Short summary
Despite the visible flood damage, mental health is a growing concern. Yet, there is limited data in Germany on mental health impacts after floods. A survey in a heavily affected region revealed that 28 % of respondents showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder 1 year later. Risk factors include gender, serious injury or illness due to flooding, and feeling left alone to cope with impacts. The study highlights the need for tailored mental health support for flood-affected populations.
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