Hurricane survivors experience long-term mental health distress

For immediate release
May 30, 2008

CHICAGO – As the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) works to close the last trailer parks that many Gulf-area hurricane survivors call home this weekend, the findings of a new study suggest that displacement affects survivors' mental health. More than half of the study participants reported significant long-term mental health distress, even as they moved back to their original communities. These findings are published in the latest issue of the American Medical Association (AMA) Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal.

The study, "Prevalence and Predictors of Mental Health Distress Post-Katrina," measured mental health distress and disability among members of more than a thousand households in Louisiana and Mississippi who lived in areas greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina or who were forced to evacuate after the storm. Poor physical health, moving often, and living in unsafe neighborhoods were among the significant factors of people more likely to have poor mental health. People with children in the household were also more likely to exhibit higher levels of mental health distress as the study suggests having a responsibility for others, particularly children, during a time of uncertainty and chaos, may lead to such distress.

"People who did not have strong informal support networks, who were afraid in their community, or who were more fatalistic were far more likely to exhibit mental health distress and disability," says lead study author David Abramson, PhD, MPH, Director of Research at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

Participants were interviewed face-to-face six to 12 months after Katrina, and a telephone follow-up was conducted at 20 to 23 months after the disaster. Over time, several factors were associated with better mental health – including a functional social network and a positive state of mind.

"These findings show that rebuilding communities — and their social support networks — can greatly contribute to people's recovery," Dr. Abramson concludes.

Additional articles in the June issue of the AMA disaster journal include:

• Unexplained Deaths in Connecticut during 2002-2003: Failure to Consider Category A Bioterrorism Agents in Differential Diagnoses"
• Cash Grants in Humanitarian Assistance: An NGO Experience in Aceh, Indonesia Following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami"
• Secondary Contamination of Medical Personnel, Equipment, and Facilities Resulting from Hazardous Materials Events"

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This article is available ahead of print and the full journal will publish June 3.

Note to reporters: To obtain complete online access to the journal, contact AMA Media Relations at (312) 464-4813 and provide appropriate press credentials. The AMA's Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness Journal maintains editorial independence and the statements and opinions in the journal, including the articles referenced above, are not those of the AMA or Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. The next issue of the journal will be a special issue scheduled for publication Sept. 9, 2008. The next regular issue will be published Oct. 9, 2008.

About AMA's Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness Journal
The AMA Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness Journal was created to promote public health preparedness and the science of disaster medicine. It is the first comprehensive, peer-reviewed publication emphasizing public health preparedness and disaster response. The journal is published for the AMA by leading health care publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. An online version can be found on the Web and is also available on the Journals@Ovid platform.

For more information or to obtain a copy of any article, please contact:

Leah Dudowicz
AMA Media Relations
(312) 464-4813