Multiple factors including place attachment, financial situation, flood stress, and adaptation strategies influence flood-affected residents' decisions to stay or leave, with each factor closely linked to mental health and the pursuit of emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
Key Findings
Results
Several factors influence the decision to stay in or leave one's home after recurrent flooding, including attachment to home and environment, financial situation, flood-related stress, and adaptation strategies.
Study based on lived experiences of 14 residents of Pointe-Gatineau who experienced multiple floods in 2017, 2019, and for some, 2023
Semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture the complexity of their experiences
A phenomenological qualitative approach was adopted
Depending on individual experiences, some factors play a more decisive role than others
Results
The ultimate decision to stay or leave reflects a pursuit of restoring or preserving emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
Each factor identified in the analysis impacts the mental health of participants
9 participants remained in the neighborhood after all 3 flood events
5 participants left following the 2019 floods
Most participants feel recovered and view their choice positively, noting that it allowed them to regain or maintain emotional, psychological, and social well-being
Discussion
Residents expressed growing concerns about institutional responses and government policies related to floodplain management, including fears about potential forced relocation.
Some participants feared potential relocation resulting from the Plan de protection du territoire face aux inondations
These concerns align with other Quebec and international studies
Findings emphasize the need to incorporate identity and affective dimensions into land-use and flood management policies
Results
Attachment to home and the natural and built environment was identified as a key factor in flood-affected residents' relocation decisions and mental health.
Attachment to one's home and the natural and built environment was among the factors analyzed through semi-structured interviews
The study highlights identity and affective dimensions as important considerations in flood management policy
Findings align with international literature emphasizing these dimensions in land-use policies
Hamel A, St-Amour N. (2026). [Recurring Floods: The Complex Relationship Between Mental Health and the Difficult Decision to Stay or Leave].. Sante mentale au Quebec. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41812169/