Abstract: Communities Organizing for Power through Empathy (COPE): Community-Based Participatory Research to Improve Community Disaster-Resilience and Equity (Society for Social Work and Research 29th Annual Conference)

Schedule:

Friday, January 17, 2025

Willow B, Level 2 (Sheraton Grand Seattle)

* noted as presenting author

Jennifer Scott, PhD, LMSW, Associate Professor, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA

Tara Powell, PhD, MSW, MPH, Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

Natasha Lee-Johnson, MSW, MEd, Doctoral Student, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA

Background: Climate-related disasters are escalating globally, posing unprecedented challenges to safety and well-being of individuals and communities in disaster prone regions. There is thus an urgent need for community-based interventions that support mental health and enhance community resilience. This paper details the design and preliminary outcomes of the Communities Organizing for Power through Empathy (COPE) intervention, a group psychoeducational intervention that aims to increase community and individual resilience to environmental disasters and climate change.

Methods: We conducted a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) mixed methods study to adapt, deliver, and assess the efficacy of the COPE intervention in East Baton Rouge Parish, a region at high risk for hurricanes, flooding, and other climate-related disasters. The aims of this study are to: (1) Examine factors that affect implementation, efficacy, and adoption of the COPE intervention, and (2) Test the efficacy of the COPE in reducing mental health distress and strengthening coping, social support, and community engagement (as compared to an attention control arm). This paper focuses on Aim 2 outcomes. We implemented the COPE intervention following a stepped wedge cluster randomized control trial (SWCRCT) design, utilizing validated measures to assess perceived stress (PSS), depression and anxiety (DASS), as well as social support (MSPSS), coping (MSPSS) and community connection (CART) at four time points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, 1 and 6-months post intervention).

Results: Participants primarily identified as female (57.7%), Black/African American (50.0%), and held a bachelors (25.7%) or graduate (20.7%) degree. A A series of linear mixed models assessed changes in mental health outcomes among COPE participants over time. At mid-implementation (n=167) findings indicate significant reductions in perceived stress (F=2.58, p<.05), anxiety (F=3.78, p<.05), and depression (F=15.68, p<.01).

Conclusions and Implications: Findings indicate the potential efficacy of the COPE intervention in mitigating the mental health impacts in disaster prone communities. Such interventions can be critical tools in building psychological resilience and enhancing the overall well-being of communities frequently facing environmental adversities.