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. 2010 Dec;46(6):612-20.
doi: 10.1007/s10597-009-9286-4. Epub 2010 Jan 21.

The association between disaster-related experiences and mental health outcomes among drug using African American Hurricane Katrina evacuees

Alice Cepeda  1 , Jarron M Saint Onge, Charles Kaplan, Avelardo Valdez
Affiliations

The association between disaster-related experiences and mental health outcomes among drug using African American Hurricane Katrina evacuees

Alice Cepeda et al. Community Ment Health J. 2010 Dec.

Abstract

This article provides a detailed examination of the relationship between disaster-related experiences and mental health outcomes among a sample of drug using African American Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Face-to-face structured interviews were administered to Hurricane Katrina evacuees (n = 350) residing in voucher assisted apartment complexes in Houston, Texas (2006-2007). We use Ordinary Least Squares and logistic regression models to examine both the relevance of disaster-related experiences and the interactive relationships between disaster-related experiences and post-disaster mental health outcomes including psychological distress, severe depression, somatic symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Results indicate that disaster-related experiences including negative life changes, disaster exposure, post-disaster stressors, and resource loss, have unique, inverse relationships with mental health. While resource loss has the strongest inverse relationship with mental health, disaster exposure has a negative interactive effect on psychological distress and anxiety. Although highly vulnerable populations report low levels of mental health nearly 2 years following a disaster experience, there is a convergence in mental health outcomes with high levels of disaster experiences and disaster exposure that suggests mental resiliency.

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