title: Natural disasters: an assessment of family resiliency following Hurricane Katrina.
abstract: This study explored the role of family characteristics in the coping process of a family after having experienced Hurricane Katrina to gain an understanding of the relationship between family resiliency, hope, family hardiness, and spirituality for survivors of this natural disaster. It was hypothesized that families who demonstrate higher levels of hope, family hardiness, and spirituality would be more likely to effectively cope after the storm. Further, great resource loss was hypothesized to diminish a family's ability to cope. Four hundred fifty-two participants completed the survey. Results indicate a relationship between hope, family hardiness and spirituality, and the criterion variable, family coping. The importance of these findings in terms of exploring family resiliency following a natural disaster is discussed.
authors.affiliation: ARC Center for Women and Children, ARC Community Services, Inc., 1409 Emil Street, Madison, WI 53713, USA. maria.hackbarth@gmail.com
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hackbarth
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pavkov
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wetchler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flannery
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004190:Disasters; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008922:Mississippi; D055820:New Orleans; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult