US: The power of human resilience after major disasters — and the importance of community

Researchers had the unique chance to measure the "happiness" of vulnerable New Orleans residents before and after Hurricane Katrina, reports Fast Company. The results are uplifting. Through the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina "RISK" Project, researchers looked at the pre- and post-disaster levels of happiness among 491 of the survey participants, all women.

"Our research showed that social support, both before and after Hurricane Katrina, was the main factor associated with women's happiness," said Rocio Calvo, an assistant professor at Boston College’s School of Social Work and the lead researcher on the happiness study.