Flood Exposure and Anxiety Disorders: A Case Study of the 2024 Survivors in Mathare and Mukuru Informal Settlements, Nairobi County

Abstract

The study sought to explore how flooding occasioned by climate change impacts anxiety disorders in people who have faced flooding in the Mathare and Mukuru informal settlements in Nairobi County. The research specifically looked at three main connections: how being exposed to flooding can lead to panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in survivors. A descriptive research design was employed, utilizing closed-ended questionnaires for quantitative data collection and interviews for gathering qualitative insights. The sampling method consisted of stratified random sampling. For data analysis, accuracy checks, coding, and quantitative analysis was performed using SPSS. The study used descriptive statistics to analyze demographic information and show how the respondents are distributed. It performed chi-square test to look at the connection between flood exposure and anxiety disorders. To ensure accuracy, it checked for face and content validity, and assessed reliability with Cronbach's alpha. The results were shown in tables. It was revealed that flood exposure is significantly associated with panic disorder among survivors of floods in Mathare and Mukuru informal settlements (χ2 =209.968; p=0.000). The study found that flood exposure is significantly associated with PTSD among survivors of floods in Mathare and Mukuru informal settlements, Nairobi County (χ2 =170.633; p=0.000). It established that flood exposure is significantly associated with OCD among survivors of floods in Mathare and Mukuru informal settlements (χ2 =151.418; p=0.000). There for it concluded that that there is a significant relationship between flood exposure and anxiety disorder among survivors of floods in Mathare and Mukuru informal settlements, Nairobi County. The study recommends that the government of Kenya in collaboration with development partners should establish community-based mental health initiatives essential for addressing the anxiety disorders faced by flood survivors. It also recommends that there is need for county government in partnership with national government to conduct psycho-education campaigns within the informal settlements can help raise awareness about the impact of floods on mental health. Finally, it also recommends that there is need to improve early warning systems and flood preparedness to alleviate the anxiety and uncertainty that contribute to panic disorder.