A Cross Case Analysis of Post Disaster Survivors’ Reaction to Loss Across Ages: Typhoon Haiyan Experiences

Disasters create different emotional reactions and traumatic experiences among individuals. Typhoon Haiyan visited the Philippines and the survivors’ voices need to be documented to understand them. The purpose of this study is to explore how individuals of different age group react to traumatic experiences and loss after a disaster brought about by a calamity. A researcher-made semi-structured interview and Beck’s inventory of depression scale were used to gather data. Study was conducted in Tacloban City, Leyte Island, Philippines. The four (4) informants came from different age groups who have lost a family member regardless of kinship. Result showed that the younger individuals have easier coping from a disaster. Old age predisposes one to develop depression. Kinship can also affect the psychological well-being of a person as to how the lost loved one is important to them. Lastly, the degree of involvement matters and affects the psychological and emotional aspect of the survivor because of the heightened emotions they have experienced during the disaster. This means that the older the disaster's survivor coupled with the degree of kinship with the loss (death) increases the level of depression after a disaster.

Keywords: Post-disaster, reaction to loss, Typhoon Haiyan, survivors