Effects of Social Support of Disaster Victims on Social Adaptation: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Individual and Community Resilience

Abstract

The present study explores the correlation between the social support and social adaptation of the survivors of the disaster, particularly the moderating roles of both individual resilience and community resilience. Based on the 4^th year of the Longitudinal survey of Life changes of disaster victims the research was based on hierarchical regression analysis using the mediation testing procedures developed by Baron and Kenny (N=2,234). Findings show that social support has a strong impact on social adaptation, and the individual resilience, as well as the resilience of a community, is important in such a correlation. The research findings help in the comprehension of the recovery processes by the victims of a disaster and give implications that should be used in developing holistic containment systems that would lead to the development of the resilience of an individual as well as the community member. These findings imply that disaster recovery interventions must be multilevel in that they need to strengthen social support networks and at the same time enhance coping capacities of individuals and communities.