Cumulative Disaster Exposure and Mental and Physical Health Symptoms Among a Large Sample of Gulf Coast Residents

Abstract

A large body of research has linked disaster exposure to adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Few studies, however, have explored the cumulative impact of exposure to multiple disasters. Participants (N = 8,366) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Gulf Long-Term Follow-Up Study were classified as having been exposed to both, either, or neither Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS). Participants also reported on a range of mental and physical health symptoms. Logistic regression models found that participants who were exposed to both disasters had significantly higher odds of probable generalized anxiety disorder, odds ratio (OR) = 1.72, 95% CI [1.52, 1.96]; major depression, OR = 1.53, 95% CI [1.32, 1.77]; and posttraumatic stress disorder, OR = 2.51, 95% CI [2.03, 3.10], than participants who were exposed to only one disaster, ps < .001. Additionally, a linear regression model found that participants who were exposed to both disasters had significantly more physical health symptoms at the time of the spill than those who were exposed to only one disaster, B = 0.99, SE = .20, p < .001. The results indicate that cumulative disaster exposure confers enhanced risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. The findings demonstrate that screening for prior exposure among disaster-affected individuals might identify those at greatest risk for adverse health outcomes.

The Impact of Social Vulnerability on COVID-19 in the U.S.: An Analysis of Spatially Varying Relationships

“…43,44 Such events expose inequities in areas including access to quality housing and education as well as issues of economic and environmental justice that create conditions that make it difficult to maintain health. 45 After all types of disasters, minority communities have been documented in the literature to be faced with a disproportionate share of detrimental physical and mental health outcomes. 45−47 These disparate health impacts may be due to an inability to fully understand warning advisories related to an impending hazard event or further caused by living in areas of high hazard vulnerability and poor access to health care.…”

Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill: Lessons learned about short‐term and long‐term effects

“…They support the importance of using a developmental approach to understand the longer‐term effects on children of exposure to multiple disasters and other traumatic events which can contribute to both risk and resilience. Complementing these findings, data from other studies on disasters, including exposure to multiple disasters, showed increased risk for mental health problems for children and families (Lowe et al, 2019; Osofsky et al, 2015).…”

“…Studies of residents of the Gulf Coast region experiencing both Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill provided the opportunity to gain more understanding about the effects of cumulative disaster exposure and the impact on behavioural health. Lowe et al (2019) studied mental and physical health symptom data from 8366 participants who were part of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Gulf Long‐Term Follow‐Up Study and reported on the impact of being exposed to Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill. They found that exposure to multiple disasters contributed to increased risk for adverse mental and physical health symptoms.…”

Pandemics and psychiatry: Repositioning research in context of COVID-19

“…While individuals with mental health concerns may be less likely to seek or receive care during acute disasters, there is likely to be a surge in service need that may last years after the events (Lowe et al, 2019). It is therefore important for health service researchers to examine short and long term population-level responses (e.g.…”