Bushfires in Australia - Assessing the impact of the 2019-2020 bushfires on the mental health of affected individuals

Abstract

The dataset consists of an online survey conducted Qualtrics seeking to report on the mental health impacts of the survivors of the 2019-20 Australian bushfires. The survey assessed post-traumatic stress and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among the bushfires survivors of Back Summer bushfires. The study participants reported moderate symptoms of depression and stress, and severe levels of anxiety. Additionally, participants reported moderate levels experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress, such as having intrusive thoughts and symptoms of avoidance and hyperarousal. Despite the resilience of many individuals, others remain affected by the event and there is evidence there may be longer term mental health consequences of the bushfires for some people. Given these findings it is imperative that mental health services be readily available for people in the bushfire affected areas. The dataset is in SPSS format.