The impact of housing displacement on the mental health of low-income parents after Hurricane Katrina

Abstract

Previous studies in the aftermath of natural disasters have demonstrated relationships between four dimensions of displacement – geographic distance from the predisaster community, type of postdisaster housing, number of postdisaster moves, and time spent in temporary housing – and adverse psychological outcomes. However, to date no study has explored how these dimensions operate in tandem. The literature is further limited by a reliance on postdisaster data. We addressed these limitations in a study of low-income parents, predominantly non-Hispanic Black single mothers, who survived Hurricane Katrina and who completed pre and postdisaster assessments (N = 392). Using latent profile analysis, we demonstrate three profiles of displacement experiences within the sample: (1) returned, characterized by return to a predisaster community; (2) relocated, characterized by relocation to a new community, and (3) unstably housed, characterized by long periods in temporary housing and multiple moves. Using regression analyses, we assessed the relationship between displacement profiles and three mental health outcomes (general psychological distress, posttraumatic stress, and perceived stress), controlling for predisaster characteristics and mental health indices and hurricane-related experiences. Relative to participants in the returned profile, those in the relocated profile had significantly higher general psychological distress and perceived stress, and those in the unstably housed profile had significantly higher perceived stress. Based on these results, we suggest interventions and policies that reduce postdisaster housing instability and prioritize mental health services in communities receiving evacuees.

The emotional cost of distance: Geographic social network dispersion and post-traumatic stress among survivors of Hurricane Katrina

“…Approximately 1.2 million individuals were displaced from the Gulf Coast region, and almost 80% of New Orleans evacuated before the storm (Fussell, Curtis, & DeWaard, 2014). By 2006, New Orleans recovered half its pre-Katrina population, reaching three-quarters by 2012 (Fussell & Lowe, 2014). Evacuation and relocation strategies available to Hurricane Katrina survivors negatively impacted social networks and traditional kinship care arrangements (Asad, 2014; McCarthy-Brown & Waysdorf, 2009).…”

Mental health challenges and experiences in displaced populations following Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Harvey: the need for more comprehensive interventions in temporary shelters

“…The full methodology has been described elsewhere 5. This cohort was assembled under two separate studies: Project Leaders in Gathering Hope Together12 (LIGHT; n=669; recruitment dates: January 2013–February 2015) and Project Restoration (n=1025; recruitment dates: June 2014–August 2016; figure 1).…”

Regeneration, relocation and health behaviours in deprived communities

“…The displacement can be the result of urban renewal, or due to humanitarian emergencies such as war and natural disasters. In these cases, displacement has been found to be associated with a number of deleterious health effects, including psychological distress (Porter and Haslam, 2001;Fussell and Lowe, 2014), perceived stress (Guzman et al, 2005), substance abuse and violence (Greene et al, 2011), low birth weight and development difficulties for children (Cutts et al, 2011;Wallace, 2011), and higher rates of infectious and chronic diseases (Paquet and Hanquet, 1998;Anderson, 1999). However, in the current research we seek to examine potentially positive health behavioural change within deprived communities, based on past studies of housing and neighbourhood effects and theories of individual behavioural change, albeit being aware of potentially negative effects from relocation depending on how it is enacted or perceived.…”