“Acts of god and man”: Long-term character change in survivors of disasters and the law

Evidence from differing disaster populations indicates enduring effects on mental functioning or character change in survivors. Following the Buffalo Creek Disaster, character changes included psychic constriction, denial, somatization, and survivor guilt. In the legal proceedings following that disaster survivors received compensation for “psychic impairment,” a term devised to cover the long-term effects of the survivor syndrome. Among combatant survivors of the Vietnam War, a common character change included the failure to channel hostile impulses effectively. Crucial for this group has been the role of law to provide a recovery environment conducive to their reentry to society.