Development and validation of the Psychological Preparedness to Disaster Threat Scale (PPDTS)
Natural disasters are common recurrences in Australia and elsewhere in the world, with developing countries suffering in recent years from major disasters such as earthquakes, floods and tsunamis and severe storms. These natural disasters during the recent past highlight what is likely to be the norm over the next several decades, with climate change and its consequences a stark reality. Those weather-related events of particular relevance to community preparedness and adaptation initiatives in Northern Australia are cyclones and floods. While substantial disaster mitigation infrastructure, including the services of multiple agencies and professionals in times of need, exists, there remains much to be done to more fully understand and achieve disaster preparedness and resilience in individuals and communities for recurrent natural disasters. Previous research in North Queensland has provided promising findings with respect to the use of psychological preparedness interventions in fostering community preparedness. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of psychological preparedness for disaster and review the initial results of the first stage of the development and validation of a new scale i.e., the Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale (PPDTS)
