Trauma Among Survivors of Hurricane Katrina: Considerations and Recommendations for Mental Health Care

Whaley, Arthur L.

doi:10.1080/15325020902925480

Cited by 13 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Both overinflating or underinflating mental health outcomes associated with climate change can lead to erroneous prevalence estimates and skewed assumptions about mental health service needs. A further consideration noted by Whaley in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is that in some cases medical professionals did not assess pre-existing mental health conditions and, therefore, attributed disaster trauma as a typical stress response, or alternatively diagnosed patients with stress response when in fact there were much larger mental health issues related to the effects of the Hurricane that went undiagnosed [ 60 ]. Crucially important to consider is that pre-existing mental health conditions or problems can be exacerbated or even triggered by changes in climate [ 9 , 61 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The direct mental health consequences related to flooding and hurricanes are also well documented (see [ 51 – 55 , 60 , 62 , 76 – 81 ]). In a study of 30 locations in England and Wales, Tunstall et al conducted interview surveys with residents affected by flooding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They found that psychological impacts were more commonly reported than physical effects [ 51 ]. One study researching the psychosocial impacts following Hurricane Katrina estimates that 20–35% of survivors experienced some form of mental health issue following the disaster [ 60 ]. Galea et al reported a 31.2% prevalence of anxiety-mood disorders amongst Hurricane Katrina survivors [ 81 ], while Rhodes and Chan found that nearly half (47.7%) of marginalised community members of New Orleans (mainly low-income, African American women) showed probable signs of PTSD after Hurricane Katrina [ 82 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Climate change and mental health: risks, impacts and priority actions

Hayes

Blashki

Wiseman

et al. 2018

Int J Ment Health Syst

481

400

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BackgroundThis article provides an overview of the current and projected climate change risks and impacts to mental health and provides recommendations for priority actions to address the mental health consequences of climate change.Discussion and conclusionThe authors argue the following three points: firstly, while attribution of mental health outcomes to specific climate change risks remains challenging, there are a number of opportunities available to advance the field of mental health and climate change with more empirical research in this domain; secondly, the risks and impacts of climate change on mental health are already rapidly accelerating, resulting in a number of direct, indirect, and overarching effects that disproportionally affect those who are most marginalized; and, thirdly, interventions to address climate change and mental health need to be coordinated and rooted in active hope in order to tackle the problem in a holistic manner. This discussion paper concludes with recommendations for priority actions to address the mental health consequences of climate change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Climate change and mental health: risks, impacts and priority actions

Hayes

Blashki

Wiseman

et al. 2018

Int J Ment Health Syst

481

400

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This analysis revealed that the effectiveness of currently available response interventions noted above is limited by an incomplete understanding of factors that can influence the capacity for adaptation by individuals and health decision makers. The key factors, herein referred to as “influencing factors”, that emerged in this reassessment of the literature include: social capital [40,41,42,43,44], sense of community [45,46,47,48,49], government assistance [11,13,14,36,40], access to resources [11,42,50,51,52,53,54], community preparedness [46,51,55], intersectoral/transdisciplinary collaboration [54,56,57,58], vulnerability and adaptation assessments [1,2,59,60], communication and outreach [8,46,61,62], mental health literacy [46,51,63,64], and culturally relevant resources [6,12,17,46,64,65,66,67]. These influencing factors can either support positive health outcomes when they are in place or when absent, act as barriers to psychosocial adaptation achievement and realization.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A sense of community is nested within the conceptualization and practice of social capital, and, similar to social capital, a sense of community (e.g., the feeling of togetherness and belonging) supports resilience in the face of a changing climate [45,46,47,48,49]. A sense of community and social support can play vital roles in psychological and psychosocial well-being, especially after a disaster.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Influencing the Mental Health Consequences of Climate Change in Canada

Hayes

Berry

Ebi

2019

IJERPH

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Climate change is increasing risks to the mental health of Canadians. Impacts from a changing climate may outstrip the ability of Canadians and their health-sustaining institutions to adapt effectively and could increase poor mental health outcomes, particularly amongst those most marginalized in society. A scoping review of literature published during 2000–2017 explored risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities related to climate change and mental health. In this commentary, the authors present a new assessment of evidence from this scoping review and highlight factors that influence the capacity to adapt to the mental health consequences of a changing climate. Findings from this assessment reveal eleven key factors that influence the capacity to adapt: social capital; sense of community; government assistance; access to resources; community preparedness; intersectoral/transdisciplinary collaboration; vulnerability and adaptation assessments; communication and outreach; mental health literacy; and culturally relevant resources. Attention to these factors by Canadian decision makers can support proactive and effective management of the mental health consequences of climate change.

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Racial variations in postdisaster PTSD among veteran survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Davis¹,

Sullivan²,

Vasterling³

et al. 2012

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

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To date, few hurricane trauma-related studies have focused on racial variations in psychological outcomes such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following natural disaster exposure. Of those that have reported racial differences in postdisaster outcomes, only some have controlled for covariates such as preexisting vulnerability factors (i.e., prior mental health problems), during-disaster factors (i.e., exposure severity) and postdisaster factors (i.e., social support). The present investigation examined racial differences in postdisaster clinical outcomes (positive screen for and new onset of PTSD), while controlling for these factors, among a sample of 304 military veterans 2½ years after being exposed to Hurricane Katrina. The sample was composed of 149 African American and 155 White survivors. Bivariate results revealed racial differences in age, education, income, number of chronic medical problems, lifetime traumatic events, and Katrina traumatic events. Racial differences were identified in PTSD outcomes, with African American veterans more likely to have post-Katrina PTSD than Whites, 40% versus 27%, respectively. Racial differences in new onset PTSD remained after adjustment for covariates. Post hoc analyses, however, indicated that racial differences remained significant only for veterans with combat experience. Significant covariates included employment status, number of prior lifetime traumatic experiences, number of Katrina-related traumatic stressors, and current social support. In general, the difference in post-Katrina PTSD appeared to be associated with lifetime traumatic events and stressors, including those experienced during Hurricane Katrina and those prior to the hurricane, especially military combat for African American survivors.

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Trauma Among Survivors of Hurricane Katrina: Considerations and Recommendations for Mental Health Care

Cited by 13 publications

References 43 publications

Climate change and mental health: risks, impacts and priority actions

Climate change and mental health: risks, impacts and priority actions

Factors Influencing the Mental Health Consequences of Climate Change in Canada

Racial variations in postdisaster PTSD among veteran survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

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