Skip to main content

Community Stress and Resources: Actions and Reactions

  • Chapter
Extreme Stress and Communities: Impact and Intervention

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASID,volume 80))

Abstract

We are concerned here with the family of stressful events and circumstances that occur to large groups of people. These include natural and man-made disasters, major epidemics, famine, war, mass violence, and severe human economic and political upheaval. The study of such traumatic events is not new, but it has concentrated on the individual level, focusing on how individuals are affected. Little attention has been paid as to how community stressors impact the group, organization, community, or society. Nor has appreciable research addressed how individuals’ reactions are mediated by the way their community is impacted by community stressors. Some investigators have speculated on the community level and some have provided insightful descriptions, but usually in a piecemeal fashion, without reference to a general theoretical framework.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Allen, L., & Britt, D.W. (1983). Social class, mental health, and mental illness: The impact of resources and feedback. In R.D. Feiner, L.A. Jason, J.N. Moritsugu, & S.S. Farber (Eds.), Preventive Psychology: Theory. Research. and Practice, (pp. 149–161 ). New York: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum, A. (1987). Toxins, technology, and natural disasters. In G.R. Vanderbos, and B.K. Bryant (Eds.), Cataclysms. crises, and catastrophes: Psychology in action. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Block, M., & Zautia, A. (1981). Satisfaction and distress in a community: A test of the effects of life events. American Journal of Community Psychology, 9, 165–180.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J.C., Burcher, J.N., & Carson, R.C. (1980). Abnormal psychology and modern life ( 6th ed. ). Glenview, IL: Scott/Foresman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dew, M.A., Bromet, E.J., & Schulbert, H.C. (1987). A comparative analysis of two community stressors long term mental health effects. American Journal of Community Psychology, 15, 167–184.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dohrenwend, B.S., Dohrenwend, B.P., Dodson, M., & Shrout, P.E. (1984). Symptoms, hassles, social support, and life events: Problem of confounded measures. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 93, 222–230.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, S. (1983). Concluding comments to section I. In D. Meichenbaum & M.E. Varenko (Eds.). Stress reduction and prevention (pp. 101–106 ). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Figley, C.R. (1978). Stress disorders among Vietnam veterans: Theory. research, and treatment. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankl, V.E. (1963). Man’s search for meaning. Boston: Beacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freedy, J.R., & Hobfoll, S.E. (1994). Stress inoculation for reduction of burnout: A conservation of resources approach. Anxiety. Stress, and Coping, 6, 311–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freedy, J.R., Saladin, M.E., Kilpatrick, D.G., Resnick, H.S., & Saunders, B.E. (1994). Understanding acute psychological distress following natural disaster. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7, 257–273.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freedy, J.R., Shaw, D.L., Jarrel, M.P., & Masters, C.R. (1992). Toward an understanding of the psychological impact of disasters. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 5, 441–454.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giel, R. (1990). The psychosocial aftermath of two major disasters in the Soviet Union. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 4, 381–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gleser, G.C., Green, B.L., & Winget, C. (1981). Prolonged psychosocial effects of disaster: A study of Buffalo Creek. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, B.L., Lindy, J.D., Grace, M.C., Gleser, G.C., Leonard, A.C., Korse, M., & Winget, C. (1990). Buffalo Creek survivors in the second decade: Stability of stress symptoms. American Journal of Orthousychiatry, 60, 43–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guisinger, S., & Blatt, S.J. (1994). Individuality and relatedness: Evolution of a fundamental dialectic. American Psychologist, 49, 104–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S.E. (1988). The Ecology of Stress. Washington, D. C.: Hemisphere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S.E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44, 513–524.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S.E., & Jackson, A.P. (1991). Conservation of resources in community intervention. American Journal of Community Psychology, 19, 111–121.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S.E., & Lilly, R.S. (1993). Resource conservation as a strategy for community psychology. Journal of Community Psychology, 21, 128–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S.E., Lomranz, J., Eyal, N., Bridges, A., & Tzemach, M. (1989). Pulse of a nation: Depressive mood reactions of Israel is to Israel-Lebanon War. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 1002–1012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S.E., & London, P. (1986). The relationship of self-concept and social support to emotional distress among women during war. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 12, 87–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S.E., London, P., & Orr, E. (1988). Mastery, intimacy, and stress resistance during war. Journal of Community Psychology, 16, 317–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S.E., Morgan, R., & Lehrman, R. (1980). Development of a training center in an Eskimo village. Journal of Community Psychology, 8, 80–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iscoe, I. (1974). Community psychology and the competent community. American Psychologist, 29, 607–613.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jerusalem, M. (1993). Personal resources, environmental constraints,and adaptational processes: The predictive power of a theoretical stress model. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 14, 15–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jerusalem, M., & Schwarzer, R. (1989). Anxiety and self-concept as antecedents of stress and coping: A longitudinal study with German and Turkish adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 10, 785–792.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaniasty, K., & Norris, F.H. (1993). A test of social support deterioration models in the context of natural disaster. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 395–408.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, J.G. (1988). A guide to conducting prevention research in the community: First steps. New York: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R.C., McLeod, J.D., & Wethington, E. (1985). The costs of caring: A perspective on the relationship between sex and psychological distress. In I.G. Sarason and B.R. Sarason (Eds.), Social support: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 491–506 ). The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R.S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lomranz, J., Hobfoll, S.E., Johnson, R., Eyal, N., & Zemach, M. (1994). A nation’s response to attack: Israelis’ depressive reactions to the Gulf War. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7, 55–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McFarlane, A.C. (1989). The prevention and management of the psychiatric morbidity of natural disasters: An Australian experience. Stress Medicine, 5, 29–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McFarlane, A.C. (1990). An Australian disaster: The 1993 bushfires. International Journal of Mental Health, 19, 36–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • McFarlane, A.C. (1993). PTSD: Synthesis of research and clinical studies: The Australian Bush fire disaster. In J.P. Wilson and B. Raphael (Eds.), International Handbook of Traumatic Stress Syndromes, ( 421–429 ). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McFarlane, A.C. (1994). The severity of the trauma: Issues about its role in post traumatic stress disorder. Unpublished manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh, D.N., Silver, R.C., & Wortman, C.B. (1993). Religion’s role in adjustment to a negative life event: Coping with the loss of a child. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 812–821.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meichenbaum, D. (this volume). Disasters, stress, and cognition. In S. E. Hobfoll & M. W. deVries (Eds.), Extreme stress and communities: Impact and intervention. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meichenbaum, D., & Fitzpatrick, D. (1992). A constructivist narrative perspective of stress and coping: Stress inoculation applications. In L. Goldberger and S. Breznitz (Eds.), Handbook of stress. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meichenbaum, D., & Fong, G.T. (1993). How individuals control their own minds: A constructive narrative perspective. In D.M. Wegner and J.W. Pennebaker (Eds.), Handbook of mental control (pp. 473–490 ). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milgram, N.A., & Hobfoll, S.E. (1986). Generalizations from the theory and practice in war-related stress. In N.A. Milgram (Ed.), Stress and coping in time of war: Generalizations from the Israeli experience (pp. 316–352 ). New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oner, N., & Tosun, U. (1990/1991). Adjustment of the children of immigrant workers in Turkey: A comparison of immigrant and nonimmigrant Turkish adolescents. In N. Bleichrodt and P.J.D. Drenth (Eds.), Contemporary issues in cross cultural psychology: Selected papers from a regional conference of the International Association for Cross-cultural Psychology, (pp. 72–83). Amsterdam/Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Omer, R.J. & Thompson, M. (1993). Current provision for traumatic stress reactions in N.H.S. Personnel: A survey of critical incident stress management services (CISMS) in England, Scotland and Wales. Unpublished manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozer, E.M., & Bandura, A. (1990). Mechanism governing empowerment effects: A self-efficacy analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 472–486.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pearlin, C.I., Menaghan, E.G., Lieberman, M.A., & Mullan, J.T. (1981). The stress process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 22, 337–356.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quarentelli, E.L. (1985). An assessment of conflicting views on mental health: The consequences of traumatic events. In C.R. Figley (Ed.), Trauma and its wake: From victim to survivor: Social responsibility in the wake of catastrophe (pp. 398–415 ). New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riger, S. (1993). What’s wrong with empowerment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 31, 279–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riley, D., & Eckenrode, J. (1986). Social ties: Subgroup differences in costs and benefits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 770–778.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ritter, C., Benson, D.E., Snyder, C. (1990). Belief in a just world and depression. Sociological perspective, 33, 235–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarason, S.B. (1974). The psychological sense of community: Prospects for a community psychology. Washington, D.C.: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schönpflug, W. (1985). Goal-directed behavior as a source of stress: Psychological origins and the consequences of inefficiency. In M. Frese and J. Sabini (Eds.), The concept of action in psychology, (pp. 172–188 ). Hunsdale, New Jersey: Laurence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soloman, S.D. (1986). Mobilizing social support networks in times of disaster. In C.R. Figley (Ed.), Trauma and its wake, volume II: Traumatic stress, theory, research, and intervention. (pp. 232–263 ). New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, Z. (1990). Does the war end when the shooting stops? The Psychological toll of war. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20–21, 1733–1745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, Z., Mikulincer, M., & Hobfoll, S.E. (1987). Objective versus subjective measurement of stress and social support: The case of combat related reactions. Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology, 55, 577–583.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, Z., Waysman, M.A., Neria, Y., Ohry, A., & Wiener, M. (1994). Psychological growth and dysfunction following war captivity. Unpublished manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanton, A.L., Danoff-Burg, S., Cameron, C.L., & Ellis, A.P. (1994). Coping through emotional approach: Problems of conceptualization and confounding. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 350–362.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P.A. (1983). Dimensions of life events that influence psychological distress: An evaluation and synthesis of the literature. In H.B. Kaplan (Ed.), Psychological Stress: Trends in Theory and Research. (pp. 33–103 ). New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H.C., & Brislin, R.W. (1984). Crosscultural psychology. American Psychologist, 39, 1006–1016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trickett, E.J. (1984). Toward a distinctive community psychology: An ecological metaphor for the conduct of community research and the nature of training. American Journal of Community Psychology, 12, 261–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trickett, E.J. (this volume). The community context of disaster and traumatic stress: An ecological perspective from community psychology. In S. E. Hobfoll & M. W. deVries (Eds.), Extreme stress and communities: Impact and intervention. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Kolk, B.A. (1987). Psychological Trauma. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, R. (1990). Urban desertification, public health, and public order: Planned shrinkage, violent death, substance abuse and AIDS in the Bronx. Social Science, 31, 801–813.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, R., Fullilove, M.T., & Wallace, D. (1992). Family systems and deurbanization: Implications for substance abuse. In J.H. Lowninson, P. Rueiz, and R. Millman (Eds.), Substance abuse: A comprehensive textbook ( 2nd ed. ) (pp. 944–955 ). Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wardak, A.W.H. (1992). The psychiatric effects of war stress on Afghanistan society. In J.P. Wilson and B. Raphael (Eds.), International Handbook of Traumatic Stress Syndromes, ( 349–364 ), New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisbeth, L. (1991). The information and support center: Preventing the after-effects of disaster trauma. In T. Sorensen, P. Abrahamsen, and S. Torgersen (Eds.), Psychiatric disorders in the social domain. (pp. 50–58 ). Oslo: Norwegian University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisbeth, L. (1992). Prepare and repair: Some principles in prevention of psychiatric consequences of traumatic stress. Psychiatria Fennica, 23, 11–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiebe, D.J. (1991). Hardiness and stress moderation: A test of proposed mechanisms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 89–99.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, C.L., Solomon, S.D., & Barton, P. (1988). Primary prevention in aircraft disasters: Integrating research and practice. American Psychologist, 43, 730–739.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Hobfoll, S.E., Briggs, S., Wells, J. (1995). Community Stress and Resources: Actions and Reactions. In: Hobfoll, S.E., de Vries, M.W. (eds) Extreme Stress and Communities: Impact and Intervention. NATO ASI Series, vol 80. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8486-9_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8486-9_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4548-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-8486-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics