Coping Behavior of Elderly Flood Victims

Abstract

A study of the effects of the Teton Dam Disaster in 1976 upon the elderly provides a test of the assertion in the literature that the elderly are more likely to overreport their losses and express feelings of relative deprivation than younger cohorts. The findings suggest that elderly persons cope quite well with disaster situations and tend to report fewer adverse emotional effects and feelings of relative deprivation than younger victims. High agreement was found between subjective comparative estimations of loss and actual loss. Recommendation for disaster assistance planning is included.