Relationship between household composition and intergenerational post-disaster mental health in two-parent families: Evidence from Japan

Background: Previous literature has neglected the effect of household composition on mental health, especially in the context of post-disaster recovery. Methods: Open access data from the 2015 Social Survey on Living and Disaster Recovery (SSLDR) in Japan are used. A total of 689 respondents (346 from Fukushima and 343 from Sendai) made up of people living in two-parent families are examined in the current study. Pearson's Chi-square Test and ANOVA are applied to assess the differences between four groups: Fukushima parent generation, Fukushima child generation, Sendai parent generation, and Sendai child generation. The method of multiple linear regression is used to explore the association factors of intergenerational mental health in two city sites, respectively. Results: Fukushima child generation tended to have the worst mental health status. In two city sites, the child generation tended to have a less degree of neighborhood connectedness than those in the parent generation. Variables of household composition, daily worries, and gender have significant associations with mental health in either two cities or one of them. Limitations: The 2015 SSLDR datasets were collected by means of investigation through a series of questionnaires. Errors may exist if the respondents did not honestly or fully report their household composition. And there is some complexity in some attempted analysis models that is not fully included in the imputation model. Conclusion: Household composition has significant association with intergenerational mental health in the context of post-disaster recovery. Our results highlight the need to look for appropriate and targeted supporting mechanisms.