Social support, coping strategies and their correlations with older adults' relocation adjustments after natural disaster

AimThe present study examines the associations among social support, coping strategies and relocation adjustment outcomes, including community cohesion, residential satisfaction and depressive symptoms, for older persons in Taiwan displaced by Typhoon Morakot. MethodsThis study enrolled 372 adults aged 60years or older who were relocated to permanent houses after Typhoon Morakot destroyed their homes on 8 August 2009. A path analysis simultaneously examined the hypothesized links among social support, coping strategies and relocation adjustment outcomes. ResultsThe relationships between coping strategies and relocation outcomes varied. Problem-focused and support-seeking coping were positively related to perceived community cohesion, whereas emotion-focused coping was associated with a high number of depressive symptoms. Social support was positively related to residential satisfaction. Additionally, social support was also indirectly related to increased community cohesion and residential satisfaction through its positive relationship with support-seeking and problem-focused coping. ConclusionsMore interventions should be implemented to enhance support within informal networks and a sense of belonging to the new resident community, thereby promoting more active coping strategies, enhancing the effectiveness of coping efforts and maximizing positive adjustment outcomes. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1006-1014.