Model of mental health in adolescents who experienced a mega wildfire: Protective and risk factors

Various studies have shown the relationship between psychopathological symptomatology in the event of a wildfire and predictors such as exposure to the event, fear, and parenting; however, there are no studies that establish the joint relationship between these predictors and the mental health of adolescents who have experienced a disaster of this nature. Thus, this study evaluates a model of psychopathological symptomatology in adolescents who experienced the Chilean wildfire called The Firestorm due to its extreme conditions. A non-experimental study surveyed 292 Chilean adolescents who experienced that mega wildfire (MAGE = 14.47; 51.6% women), 6 months after the occurrence of disaster. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to evaluate the model of psychopathological symptomatology, establishing risk and protective factors as predictors. Adolescents who reported that they perceived a greater magnitude of the disaster also reported that they experienced greater fear of the wildfire. Additionally, adolescents who reported that they experienced greater fear also reported greater post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and stress. In contrast, adolescents whose parents were supporting reported less depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation. Thereby, results obtained suggest that emotional reactions to disaster may have a greater impact on the mental health of adolescents who experienced extreme wildfire than the magnitude itself and highlights the protective role of parental support.