A DANA is an atmospheric phenomenon in which cold air trapped aloft causes heavy rainfall, storms, strong winds and flood risk; events are often sudden and subject to meteorological monitoring.

What psychological effects do DANAs have on the general population?

Psychological effects include post‑traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, survivor’s guilt and social tensions arising from perceived unequal access to resources after the event.

How do DANAs affect people with cognitive impairment?

People with cognitive impairment face increased disorientation, confusion, agitation, risk of wandering and possible acceleration of cognitive decline, requiring tailored emergency responses and supports.

How does a DANA specifically impact people with autism?

For people with autism, DANAs can cause sensory overload, panic or meltdown episodes, heightened repetitive behaviours, communication difficulties and increased social isolation due to routine disruption.

How do DANAs disrupt neurorehabilitation and what alternatives exist?

Torrential rains can interrupt in‑person neurorehabilitation and worsen symptoms; telerehabilitation, flexible scheduling and prioritized emotional support can help preserve treatment continuity when feasible.

Where can people affected by the DANA in Valencia find support?

Support options include Red Cross Valencia, Caritas Valencia, Ayudana (free psychological care), COPCV telephone lines and Neural Intensive collection points; contact details are available on each organization’s website.

Effects of DANA on the psychological well-being of people with cognitive impairment

In this article we present the impact that natural disasters such as a DANA can have on the general population and, specifically, on people with cognitive impairment.

Vulnerability to natural disasters

Natural disasters, defined as extreme events caused by natural phenomena, can have devastating consequences for people and the environment. Phenomena such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and DANAs not only cause physical and economic damage, but also a profound psychological impact, especially on people with cognitive disorders.

The population with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s disease or autism, faces additional difficulties in situations of stress, trauma and displacement, which increases their vulnerability during and after these disasters. Preparation strategies and responses adapted to these people are essential to mitigate the effects of these extreme events and promote their mental well-being.

DANA: What it is and what its effects are on the general population and on people with cognitive impairment

What a DANA is

A DANA is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs when a mass of cold air becomes trapped in high levels of the atmosphere, which can cause heavy rainfall, storms and strong winds. This type of meteorological event is common in autumn and spring and carries a high risk of flooding and material damage.

Because of its sudden and, at times, unpredictable nature, DANAs are subject to strict meteorological monitoring to warn the population about possible risks and facilitate an effective emergency response.

How a DANA affects the general population

The psychological consequences of a DANA and of other natural disasters can be serious. The main psychological effects in the general population include:

Negative impact on mental health, experiencing scenarios of post-traumatic stress, anxiety, fear and depression.
Survivor’s syndrome among the unaffected population, experiencing feelings of guilt toward those who have been more affected.
Possibility of experiencing social tensions and conflicts caused by feelings of abandonment and injustice in subsequent access to resources.

How a DANA affects people with cognitive impairment

For people living with a neurodevelopmental disorder such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or disability; as well as people with cognitive impairment due to brain injury or a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s, the effects of a DANA can represent a particularly serious challenge.

Effects of a DANA on people with autism

Numerous studies indicate that such abrupt changes in the environment, as well as in the daily routine itself, which natural disasters produce, can have significant consequences in the short and long term for people with autism.

Below are the most relevant:

Sensory stress and emotional overload, which can lead to nervous breakdowns, panic attacks and/or self-injurious behaviors.
Extreme anxiety or repetitive behaviors as a self-soothing mechanism.
Communication problems and a greater possibility of experiencing increased levels of isolation and fear during the disaster.

Effects of a DANA on people with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases

Other studies focused on neurodegenerative diseases show that high stress during and after a disaster can accelerate cognitive decline and the progression of these conditions.

Changes in the environment, along with the possible loss of familiar visual cues and the difficulty these people have in adapting quickly, can produce:

Disorientation and confusion.
Disruptive behaviors.
Social isolation.
Wandering.
Anxiety, agitation and the possibility of aggressive responses in more severe cases.

Effects of a DANA on people with neurodevelopmental or learning disorders

People with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or learning disorders (LD), such as dyslexia, can also be affected by exceptional and catastrophic situations like a DANA:

Higher risk of accidents, due to an increase in difficulty following instructions.
Cognitive blocks caused by the increase and continuous exposure to stimuli such as loud noises and crowds of people caused by this type of critical situation.

Effects of a DANA on people with disabilities

People with disabilities, whether physical or cognitive, are also not exempt from suffering consequences in their health and quality of life. Especially those with reduced mobility.

In these cases, people with disabilities face:

Greater barriers to evacuation in catastrophic situations due to mobility limitations and their need for assistive devices such as wheelchairs.
Greater dependence on their caregivers, as a result of their mobility limitations.
Considerable increase in anxiety due to their total dependence on others to carry out any type of activity.
Psychological traumas exacerbated by their movement limitations and increased dependence on their caregivers.

How a DANA affects neurorehabilitation interventions

Torrential rains and the numerous damages caused by a DANA can significantly affect the in-person continuity of neurorehabilitation interventions, especially for people with cognitive impairment.

These extreme weather phenomena generate a series of stressors that, added to the sudden interruption of rehabilitation services, can alter the neurorehabilitation process and worsen the cognitive symptoms of people with different impairments related to neurodegenerative diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders and disability.

The interruption of treatments due to natural disasters poses an additional challenge for neurorehabilitation professionals. Therefore, it is essential that they adapt their approaches, prioritizing emotional support and flexibility in interventions, using resources such as telerehabilitation if conditions allow. In this way, the impact of phenomena like DANAs can be minimized and the continuity of cognitive rehabilitation processes ensured.

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Networks and support guides for people affected by the DANA in Valencia

Below you can consult a guide with some of the organizations that are actively collaborating in helping people affected by the DANA in Valencia:

Red Cross of Valencia

The Red Cross of Valencia is providing support in emergency centers and psychosocial care.

On their website they have a dedicated section to collaborate with affected people: https://www.cruzroja.es/inicio-web/.

Caritas Valencia

Caritas Valencia is offering material and emotional support in coordination with municipal services.

People interested in making a donation can do so from their website: https://www.caritasvalencia.org/.

AyuDana

This platform offers free psychological support for those who need it. On their website:

You can request help if you are one of the affected people: https://ayudana.org/afectados/.
As well as offering professional psychology services on a voluntary basis: https://ayudana.org/voluntarios/.

Colegio Oficial de Psicologeda de la Comunitat Valenciana (COPCV)

The COPCV has made several telephone lines for psychological help available to those interested.

The contact phone numbers are the following:

Assistance for affected people: +34 960 450 230

Advice for psychology professionals: +34 960 450 232

Neural Intensive

The Neural Intensive team has announced on their social networks that they have set up two collection and distribution points for therapeutic material, medical supplies and support products, furniture and intervention material for people with brain injury, centers and therapeutic professionals affected by the DANA.

They can be contacted from their website https://neuralintensive.com/ or by calling: +34 919 46 44 01.

Official College of Psychology of Madrid and the Spanish Society for the Study of Anxiety and Stress (SEAS)

Both organizations have jointly collaborated to publish the Guide to psychological help for children and adolescents affected by the DANA.

The main objective of this project is to help mitigate the impact of this difficult situation among children and young people who may suffer the consequences of this atmospheric phenomenon.

Are you also collaborating with the DANA?

If you are a professional or organization that is providing support to people affected by the DANA in Valencia, we invite you to get in touch with us to give visibility to your initiative.

You can send us an email to the following address: [email protected]

Conclusion

The psychological effects of natural disasters, such as DANAs, are devastating for the general population. Their impact is even greater on people with some type of cognitive impairment or special needs.

Post-traumatic stress, anxiety and increased confusion are just some of the additional challenges faced by people with cognitive disorders, and these inevitably add to the inconveniences and barriers inherent to their condition.

Raising awareness about the vulnerability of people with cognitive disorders in crisis situations is essential to improve emergency response and promote a comprehensive and appropriate recovery.

It is essential that support strategies adapted to the specific needs of this vulnerable population be implemented. The creation of support networks, both formal and informal, and access to specialized resources can make a difference in the recovery of these people.

Bibliography

Ayudana Free psychological care. A solidarity platform that connects volunteer psychologists with people affected by natural disasters, offering free psychological support to promote emotional recovery and well-being. (n.d.). Ayudana.org. Retrieved November 11, 2024, from https://ayudana.org/
Bruque, E. (2024, October 30). NGOs mobilize to help those affected by the DANA in Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha. RTVE.es. https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20241030/ong-se-movilizan-para-ayudar-a-damnificados-por-dana-valencia-castilla-mancha/16310515.shtml
Caritas Valencia. (n.d.). https://www.caritasvalencia.org/
Official College of Psychology of the Valencian Community COPCV. (n.d.). https://www.cop-cv.org/noticia/17061-dana-el-copcv-habilita-lineas-telefonicas-de-ayuda-psicologica
Red Cross. (n.d.). https://www.cruzroja.es/inicio-web/
DANA – The COPCV enables telephone lines for psychological help – Col·legi Oficial de Psicologia de la Comunitat Valenciana. (n.d.). Cop-cv.org. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.cop-cv.org/noticia/17061-dana-el-copcv-habilita-lineas-telefonicas-de-ayuda-psicologica
Guide to psychological help for children and adolescents affected by the DANA. (n.d.). Copmadrid.org. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.copmadrid.org/web/publicaciones/documentos-tematicos/guia-de-ayuda-psicologica-para-ninos-ninas-y-adolescentes-afectados-por-la-dana
High-performance neurorehabilitation | Neural Intensive. (n.d.). https://neuralintensive.com/
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (GPT-4 model). https://chat.openai.com
Rociocasasa, P. (2024, October 30). Psychological care for those affected by the DANA. EFE Noticias; Agencia EFE. https://efe.com/espana/2024-10-30/ayuda-psicologica-dana-afectados/
Serrano, M. (2024, October 31). Caritas Valencia deploys a support and aid network for the DANA: “Solidarity is overwhelming” Article 14. https://www.articulo14.es/sociedad/caritas-valencia-despliega-una-red-de-apoyo-y-ayuda-por-la-dana-la-solidaridad-es-abrumadora-20241031.html