Abstract
Catastrophes are associated with psychological effects. However, the processes explaining mental health consequences are still not well understood and depend on the community. The present work aims to review the short-term and long-term psychological consequences of natural disasters, focusing on community resilience as a protective factor. In the current investigation, fifteen Disaster-affected communities were examined, and a Cross-sectional observational study design was employed. The original samples of 300 participants completed cross-sectional questionnaires on the severity of PTSD, level of anxiety, and demographics. Thus, to measure community resilience, the index comprised of social cohesion, stability of community infrastructures, and the availability of mental health services were used. Descriptive analysis and Pearson's r correlation were used to investigate the correlation between the resilience factors and the mental health outcomes. Significant variability in PTSD severity (range: 15 (345 to 30. 987) and anxiety level (13. 456 to 22. 345) were noticed in participants. Communities with higher resilience indices (range: rounded up to between 68 and 85 countries had a comparatively lesser mean average of PTSD prevalence (percentage range between 8. 456 to 14. 567). The statistical calculations suggested that resilience measures had an increase in mental health status after a disaster. The paper's conclusions highlight the need for community resilience to reduce the psychological effects of natural disasters. Improving the earth and social structures that support people can also increase the readiness for calamities by boosting resilience. It advances the existing literature by providing prescriptive knowledge to encourage mental health efforts in areas susceptible to disastrous events.