Exploring predictors of psychological preparedness for flood victims: A conceptual framework for Malaysia

Background: Flooding is one of the most frequent and damaging disasters in Malaysia with major social, economic, and psychological consequences. Compared to material and logistical preparedness, the psychological aspects of disaster management remain underexplored compared to material and logistical aspects. Methods: This conceptual paper employs a targeted review of disaster preparedness literature to identify key psychological factors and integrate them into a conceptual framework to understand Malaysians psychological preparedness for floods. The literature search was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Academic Search Ultimate, Directory of Open Access Journals, Supplemental Index and Google Scholar with keywords including “disaster preparedness, flood, natural disaster and psychological preparedness”. Articles were included if they focused on preparedness towards disasters as well as examining coping mechanisms, perceptions and preparedness behaviours in the context of flood-related crises and excluded if they did not provide methodological clarity or empirical grounding. The review synthesized findings using a thematic analysis approach, identifying psychological resilience and coping strategies in flood-affected populations, the role of social support networks in preparedness and recovery as well as mental health implications of floods, including anxiety, trauma, and post-disaster recovery. This synthesis informed the development of a conceptual model to address factors that predict Malaysians psychological preparedness for floods. According to contemporary theories of catastrophe risk reduction and psychological resilience, critical variables included are risk perception, outcome expectancy, self-efficacy, anxiety, and social support. Results: It was proposed that these factors work together to determine an individual’s psychological preparedness, enhancing their ability to cope with the psychological and emotional strain of a flood disaster. Conclusions: By offering these perspectives, the study contributes to the limited academic discussion on psychological preparedness in Malaysia, which aims to improve the psychological resilience of communities vulnerable to flooding. The proposed framework emphasizes the importance of incorporating psychological preparedness into existing disaster management strategies to mitigate the psychological and social impacts of flood.