Resource Loss and Depressive Symptoms Following Hurricane Katrina: A Principal Component Regression Study (original) (raw)
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This study used the Conservation of Resources stress model to examine the role of psychosocial resource loss in the aftermath of Midwest Jlooding. Questionnaires were distributed through churches and completed by 131 adults in flood-affected communities 6 weeks and 6 months after the flood's crest. Frequent psychosocial losses included losses of routine, sense of control, sense of optimism, accomplishing goals, and time with loved ones. Path analysis revealed that psychosocial resource loss mediated the effects of flood exposure on both psychological distress and physical symptoms at 6 months postjlood. The jindings suggest that interventions designed to prevent psychosocial resource loss may reduce the long-term effects of disasters.
Natural disaster and depression: a prospective investigation of reactions to the 1993 midwest floods
American journal of community psychology, 2000
A statewide sample of 1735 Iowa residents, approximately half of whom were victims of the 1993 Midwest Floods, participated in interviews 1 year prior to, and 30 to 90 days after, the disaster. Employing a rigorous methodology including both control-group comparisons and predisaster assessments, we performed a systematic evaluation of the disaster's impact. Overall, the disaster led to true but small rises in depressive symptoms and diagnoses 60-90 days postflood. The disaster-psychopathology effect was not moderated by predisaster depressive symptoms or diagnostically defined depression; rather, predisaster symptoms and diagnoses uniquely contributed to increases in postdisaster distress. However, increases in symptoms as a function of flood impact were slightly greater among respondents with the lowest incomes and among residents living in small rural communities, as opposed to on farms or in cities. Implications for individual- and community-level disaster response are discus...
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2008
ABSTRACTBackground: Catastrophic disasters often are associated with massive structural, economic, and population devastation; less understood are the long-term mental health consequences. This study measures the prevalence and predictors of mental health distress and disability of hurricane survivors over an extended period of recovery in a postdisaster setting.Methods: A representative sample of 1077 displaced or greatly affected households was drawn in 2006 using a stratified cluster sampling of federally subsidized emergency housing settings in Louisiana and Mississippi, and of Mississippi census tracts designated as having experienced major damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Two rounds of data collection were conducted: a baseline face-to-face interview at 6 to 12 months post-Katrina, and a telephone follow-up at 20 to 23 months after the disaster. Mental health disability was measured using the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 12, version 2 mental component summary score. ...
Psychological sequelae of the 2004 Florida Hurricanes: Implications for post-disaster intervention
Objectives. Data are limited regarding mental health effects of disasters such as hurricanes. We sought to determine the prevalence of and major risk factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive episode 6 to 9 months after the 2004 Florida hurricanes. Methods. Random-digit dialing was used to recruit a representative population sample of 1452 hurricane-affected adults. Results. Posthurricane prevalence for PTSD was 3.6%, for generalized anxiety disorder was 5.5%, and for major depressive episode was 6.1%. Risk factors varied somewhat across disorders, with the exception of previous exposure to traumatic events, which increased risk of all negative outcomes. Conclusions. Storm exposure variables and displacement were associated primarily with PTSD. Notably, high social support in the 6 months preceding the hurricanes protected against all types of disorders.
This paper explores the effects of natural disasters in low socioeconomic communities on psychological trauma and functioning, specifically post-traumatic stress and depressive symptoms. This research examines community-level factors in relation to individual-level factors that either aid or hinder psychological resilience following a natural disaster in a predominately African-American community. Although some research has been done on community resilience, little research exists examining personal resources (self-efficacy and optimism) in conjunction with community resources (economic stability, support systems) on mental health after a hurricane. In addition, communities with a low socioeconomic status and predominately minority composition are often disregarded in mental health and disaster research. The present research draws primarily from Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory which describes human's use and gain of resources following stressful events. Additionally, the ...
Behavior Therapy, 2010
The following study examined the reactions of university students to Hurricane Katrina. A group of 68 New Orleans area students who were displaced from their home universities as a result of the hurricane were matched on race, gender, and age to a sample of 68 students who had been enrolled at Louisiana State University (LSU) prior to the hurricane. All students were enrolled at LSU at the time they participated in an online survey, conducted 3 months following the hurricane. The survey included symptom measures of depression, anxiety, stress, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other variables. Results indicated displaced students experienced more trauma exposure and greater subsequent distress, more symptoms of PTSD, and more symptoms of depression. Moreover, traumatic exposure and distress from the traumatic exposure were found to fully mediate depressive symptoms and posttraumatic symptoms in the displaced students.
Hurricane Katrina: Maternal Depression Trajectories and Child Outcomes
Current Psychology, 2015
The authors examined depression trajectories over two years among mothers exposed to Hurricane Katrina. Risk and protective factors for depression trajectories, as well as associations with child outcomes were analyzed. This study included 283 mothers (age at time 1, M=39.20 years, SD=7.21; 62 % African American). Mothers were assessed at four time points over two years following Hurricane Katrina. Mothers reported posttraumatic stress symptoms, hurricane exposure, traumatic life events, and social support at time 1. Depressive symptoms were modeled at times 2, 3, and 4. Youth reported their distress symptoms (posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety) at time 4. Latent class growth analyses identified three maternal depression trajectories among mothers exposed to Hurricane Katrina: low (61 %), resilient (29 %), and chronic (10 %). Social support was identified as a protective factor among mothers. Three main trajectories of maternal depression following Hurricane Katrina were identified. Social support was protective for mothers. Identified trajectories were not associated with children's distress outcomes. These results have implications for disaster responses, screening efforts, and interventions targeted towards families. Future studies warrant the investigation of additional risk and protective factors that can affect maternal and child outcomes.
Race Differences in Depression Vulnerability Following Hurricane Katrina
Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 2016
Objective: This study investigated whether racial disparities in depression were present after Hurricane Katrina. Method: Data were gathered from 932 New Orleans residents who were present when Hurricane Katrina struck, and who returned to New Orleans the following year. Multiple logistic regression models evaluated racial differences in screening positive for depression (a score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), and explored whether differential vulnerability (prehurricane physical and mental health functioning and education level), differential exposure to hurricane-related stressors, and loss of social support moderated and/or reduced the association of race with depression. Results: A univariate logistic regression analysis showed the odds for screening positive for depression were 86% higher for African Americans than for Caucasians (odds ratio [OR] = 1.86 [1.28-2.71], p = .0012). However, after controlling simultaneously for sociodemographic charac...