Lived Experiences of Disaster Survivors: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study of Filipino Solastalgia

The Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world, exposing communities to repeated environmental disruptions that profoundly affect psychological well-being. One emerging construct that captures the emotional distress associated with environmental transformation is solastalgia, defined as the distress experienced when one’s home environment is altered while one remains in place (Albrecht, 2005). Despite increasing global attention to ecological grief and environmental distress, the lived experiences of solastalgia among Filipino disaster survivors remain underexplored. This study aimed to explore and interpret the lived experiences of Filipino survivors of natural disasters and to understand how solastalgia manifests in their emotional, cognitive, physical, and social lives. Using a qualitative research design grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), in-depth interviews were conducted with ten disaster survivors who had experienced typhoons, flooding, or earthquakes. Data were analyzed through a hermeneutic interpretative process supported by thematic analysis. Five major domains emerged from the narratives: Disaster Experience, Affective Solastalgia, Cognitive Solastalgia, Physical Solastalgia, and Social Solastalgia. Participants described profound grief for lost environments, persistent worry about future disasters, somatic stress reactions, and disruptions in social connectedness within their communities. Findings reveal that solastalgia among Filipino survivors is a multidimensional experience encompassing emotional distress, cognitive rumination, bodily responses, and communal loss. The study highlights the importance of culturally grounded approaches in disaster mental health research. It underscores the need for psychosocial interventions that address ecological grief and place-based identity among disaster-affected populations.