Dr David Barton was awarded his PhD from RMIT University in January 2018. As a resident of Marysville and a bushfire survivor himself, David’s thesis
explored the experiences of the survivors of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. David discovered widespread post-fire disempowerment and, with
a focus upon attachment theory and behaviour, identified a new phenomenon now known as Post-Disaster Attachment Trauma. When combined, the findings related to post-disaster attachment behaviour, topophilia, disempowerment, solastalgia and Post-Disaster Attachment Trauma make for a powerful description and compelling explanation of what many Marysville bushfire survivors have experienced.
The research findings make their contribution to knowledge by discovering and explaining elements of individual and collective post-disaster experiences, particularly the role of attachment behaviour in recovery. The findings have implications for individual and collective resilience, recovery
and mental health. They will benefit policy makers, therapists, government agencies and non-government organisations in the way they assist post-disaster individuals and communities in the future.
Still living in Marysville, David is the Director and Principal Research Consultant at Barton Trading Research and Consulting Group and is converting his thesis into a book.
His thesis is available here.
