The tornadoes that devastated parts of Birmingham and Alabama on January 23, 2012, caused not only physical and financial loss to many people but caused a definitive change in thinking and reaction time according to a new study of the effect of natural disasters on people reported at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society web site on February 10, 2012.
The researchers had a unique opportunity to examine the mental and performance affects of natural disasters on people because they were on site during the 2010 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. The performance study was interrupted by the earthquake and produced the opportunity to examine the effects of natural disasters on human cognition and performance.
Performance in a simple test usually improved over time prior to a natural disaster.
People who experienced anxiety due to a natural disaster increased their speed of performance but they made more errors.
People who were depressed as a result of a natural disaster experienced slower response times.
The researchers point out that these results also affect police and other emergency responders and are a potentially hazardous condition that can affect first responders as well as those they serve.
The duration of the effects are as yet unknown but can extend to work performance, relationship behaviors, and can affect normal activities like driving. Even routine exercise, participation in social events, and other "normal" activities can be subject to a performance drop or an excess of errors after a natural disaster.
William S. Helton and James Head from the University of Canterbury are responsible for the research that will appear in an upcoming Human Factors article entitled "Earthquakes on the Mind: Implications of Disasters for Human Performance."
The lessons those of us who have weathered the recent storms in Alabama are to evaluate our feelings and examine how we are reacting during the aftermath of a natural disaster. Severe problems with anxiety or depression may need the help of a physician or psychologist.
Just give everyone the benefit of the doubt for a while and take a break if you can to relive the effects that the recent tornadoes may have had on tour mental abilities.
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