Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Hurricane Sandy among Persons Exposed to the 9/11 Disaster

Caramanica, Kimberly; Brackbill, Robert M.; Stellman, Steven D.; Farfel, Mark R.

doi:10.4172/1522-4821.1000173

Cited by 54 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…It was the second costliest cyclone to hit the U.S. since 1900 (Blake et al, 2013). While several studies have examined the mental health impact of Sandy among exposed adults (Boscarino et al, 2014; Caramanica et al, 2015; Neria and Shultz, 2012), no studies have documented the impact of Sandy on pregnant mothers and their offspring over time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal exposure to disaster-related traumatic stress and developmental trajectories of temperament in early childhood: Superstorm Sandy pregnancy study

Zhang

Rajendran

Ham

et al. 2018

Journal of Affective Disorders

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Background Little is known about the impact of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) on the developmental trajectory of temperament and few studies have been able to incorporate a natural disaster as a quasi-experimental stressor. The current study investigated PNMS related to Superstorm Sandy (‘Sandy’), a hurricane that struck the New York metropolitan area in October 2012, in terms of objective exposure during pregnancy, subjective stress reaction as assessed by maternal symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and their impact on the developmental changes in temperament during early childhood. Method A subsample of 318 mother-child dyads was drawn from the Stress in Pregnancy Study. Temperament was measured at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Results Objective exposure was associated with greater High-Intensity Pleasure, Approach, Perceptual Sensitivity and Fearfulness, but lower Cuddliness and Duration of Orientation at 6 months. Objective exposure and its interaction with subjective stress reaction predicted developmental changes in temperament. In particular, objective exposure was linked to greater increases in Activity Level but decreases in High-Intensity Pleasure, Approach, and Fearfulness. The combination of objective exposure and subjective stress reaction was also associated with greater increases in Activity Level. Limitations Temperament was measured solely via maternal report. Trimester-specific effects of Sandy on temperament were not examined. Conclusion This is the first study to examine the effects of prenatal maternal exposure to a natural disaster on trajectories of early childhood temperament. Findings suggest that both objective stress exposure and subjective stress reaction in-utero predict developmental trajectories of temperament in early childhood.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal exposure to disaster-related traumatic stress and developmental trajectories of temperament in early childhood: Superstorm Sandy pregnancy study

Zhang

Rajendran

Ham

et al. 2018

Journal of Affective Disorders

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…To assess the health impact of Sandy among those who lived in Sandy–flooded areas and elsewhere, a survey of 8,870 adult Registry enrollees who participated in Wave 3 survey was conducted between March 28 and November 7, 2013, 5 to 12 months after Sandy (Caramanica et al, 2015). Detailed descriptions of survey sampling and methods are described elsewhere [Brackbill et al, 2014].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Preexisting mental health disorders may also increase vulnerability to subsequent trauma (Breslau et al 2008; Caramanica et al, 2015; Bromet et al, 2017). A study of 9/11-exposed populations including WTC responders and non-responders found those with pre-Sandy 9/11-related PTSD symptoms were nearly 7 times more likely to report having Sandy-related PTSD symptoms 5–12 months post-Sandy than those without pre-Sandy PTSD symptoms (Caramanica et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study of 9/11-exposed populations including WTC responders and non-responders found those with pre-Sandy 9/11-related PTSD symptoms were nearly 7 times more likely to report having Sandy-related PTSD symptoms 5–12 months post-Sandy than those without pre-Sandy PTSD symptoms (Caramanica et al, 2015). A study assessing the prior trauma experience in combination with the presence of PTSD found that having PTSD symptoms in response to the prior trauma was significantly associated with increased risk of PTSD from subsequent trauma compared with no prior trauma exposure (Breslau et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using the data from World Trade Center Health Registry, with information on exposures from both 9/11 and Sandy, and repeated measurements of 9/11-related PTSD symptoms pre- and post-Sandy (Brackbill et al, 2014; Caramanica et al, 2015), we examined the risk of PTSD symptoms following Sandy exposure overall, and stratified by 9/11 related PTSD symptomatic status measured prior to Sandy. We hypothesized that Sandy exposure may trigger PTSD symptoms that were related to the 9/11 terror attacks in this high risk cohort regardless of pre-existing status of PTSD symptoms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Re-experiencing 9/11-Related PTSD Symptoms Following Exposure to Hurricane Sandy

Alper

Gargano

et al. 2018

Int J Emerg Ment Health

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Background: Understanding Pre-Existing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and risk of PTSD following Hurricane Sandy (Sandy) has important implications for PTSD screening of persons exposed to multiple traumas. This study assessed the association between Sandy exposure and a subset of PTSD symptoms related to re-experiencing trauma from the events of the September 11, 2001 (9/11). Methods: We studied 4,220 respondents from a random 8,870 person sample of adult World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees who completed a post-Sandy survey between March 28 and November 7, 2013. The symptom cluster of re-experiencing 9/11 was defined using 3 out of 5 questions in the intrusion domain of the PTSD Checklist. Multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for socio-demographics, social support and any post-9/11 life threatening events prior to Sandy, was performed separately in those symptomatic and non-symptomatic of re-experiencing 9/11 prior to Sandy. Results: A total of 688 enrollees (16.3%) reported re-experiencing 9/11 symptoms after Sandy (58.8% in those symptomatic prior to Sandy, and 8.7% in those non-symptomatic). A significant association between Sandy exposure and re-experiencing 9/11 was observed only among those non symptomatic prior to Sandy (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.7, 95% confidence interval=1.2–2.3 for moderate Sandy exposure; AOR=2.8, 2.0–4.0 for high Sandy exposure). Conclusions: Individuals with a history of trauma should be considered for early screening and counseling for mental health after a subsequent traumatic event, regardless of PTSD status, especially in 9/11 exposed populations.

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Association of DSM-IV Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Traumatic Experience Type and History in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys

et al. 2017

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Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent the views of WHO or other sponsoring organizations, agencies, or governments. Additional Contributions:We thank the staff of the WMH Data Collection and Data Analysis Coordination centres for assistance with instrumentation, fieldwork, and consultation on data analysis. Additional Information:A complete list of all within-country and cross-national WMH publications can be found at http:// www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/wmh/. Abstract IMPORTANCE-Previous research has documented significant variation in the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) depending on the type of traumatic experience (TE) and history of TE exposure, but the relatively small sample sizes in these studies resulted in a number of unresolved basic questions.OBJECTIVE-To examine disaggregated associations of type of TE history with PTSD in a large cross-national community epidemiologic data set. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS-The World Health Organization World MentalHealth surveys assessed 29 TE types (lifetime exposure, age at first exposure) with DSM-IV PTSD that was associated with 1 randomly selected TE exposure (the random TE) for each respondent. Surveys were administered in 20 countries (n = 34 676 respondents) from 2001 to 2012. Data were analyzed from October 1, 2015, to September 1, 2016. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES-Prevalence Methods SamplesThe WMH surveys are a coordinated set of community epidemiologic surveys in countries throughout the world. 17 This report focuses on the 22 WMH surveys in 20 countries that assessed lifetime PTSD after randomly selected TEs (using the procedures described below). Three surveys that assessed these random TEs were conducted in countries classified by the World Bank as low or lower-middle income (Colombia, Peru, and Ukraine); 7 in countries classified as upper-middle income (Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia [administered after the previously mentioned Colombian survey, when the country income rating had increased], Lebanon, Mexico, Romania, and South Africa); and 12 in countries classified as high income (Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Spain [separate national and regional surveys], and the United States) (eTable 1 in the Supplement). Each survey was based on a multistage clustered area Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript probability sample of adult household residents. The target population was the entire country in most surveys, all urbanized areas in 3 (Colombia, Mexico, and Peru), and specific metropolitan areas in 4 (Sao Paulo, Brazil; Medellin, Colombia; Murcia, Spain; and 6 cities in Japan). Response rates ranged from 45.9% (France) to 97.2% (Medellin), with a mean rate of 71.3% across surveys. This study was approved by the institutional review boards of the participating institutions. Participants provided written or oral informed consent using procedures approved by...

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Hurricane Sandy among Persons Exposed to the 9/11 Disaster

Cited by 54 publications

References 21 publications

Prenatal exposure to disaster-related traumatic stress and developmental trajectories of temperament in early childhood: Superstorm Sandy pregnancy study

Prenatal exposure to disaster-related traumatic stress and developmental trajectories of temperament in early childhood: Superstorm Sandy pregnancy study

Re-experiencing 9/11-Related PTSD Symptoms Following Exposure to Hurricane Sandy

Association of DSM-IV Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Traumatic Experience Type and History in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys

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