Citation

Velden PG, Yzermans CJ, Kleber RJ, Gersons BPR. J. Trauma. Stress 2007; 20(6): 1029-1039.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jts.20273

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The authors assess the correlates of mental health services utilization (MHS) after a disaster among adults with mental health problems. Data of a three-wave longitudinal study among adult survivors of a fireworks disaster (T1: 2–3 weeks, T2: 18 months, T3: almost 4 years postdisaster) were linked with their electronic medical records (N = 649). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that triple comorbidity of PTSD and high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms were positively associated with self-reported MHS utilization at T2 (n = 270) and T3 (n = 216). Private insurance, predisaster psychological problems, and relocation were associated with MHS utilization at T2 while female gender, being single, and migrant status was associated with MHS utilization at T3. Receiving treatment at T2 was positively associated with receiving treatment at T3, as opposed to medium optimism at T2.