Citation

Gargano LM, Li J, Millien L, Alper H, Brackbill RM. Psychiatry Res. 2019; 273: 719-724.

Affiliation

World Trade Center Health Registry, Division of Epidemiology, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY 10013, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psychres.2019.01.090

PMID

31207858

Abstract

This study evaluated the impact of pre-Hurricane Sandy (Sandy) post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) trajectories on the relationship between Sandy exposures and post-Sandy 9/11-related PTSD among World Trade Center Health Registry (Registry) enrollees. The study population included 3,199 adult Registry enrollees who completed three surveys prior to Sandy in 2003-4, 2006-7, and 2011-12; a post-Hurricane Sandy survey (2013); and a follow-up survey in 2015-16. PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Checklist (PCL). Latent class growth analysis was used to identify groups of enrollees who shared a similar trajectory of change in PCL score in the time period prior to Sandy. We compared enrollees in each trajectory group to assess the impact of Sandy-related PTSD, Sandy exposures, and optimism on 9/11-related PTSD status post-Sandy (2015-16) using bivariate analyses and multivariable log-binomial regression. Sandy-related PTSD was the strongest predictor of subsequent 9/11-related PTSD. Lower optimism and higher Sandy exposure significantly predicted 9/11-related PTSD only in some trajectory groups. Hurricane Sandy may have exacerbated previously resolved symptoms of 9/11-related PTSD. This indicates a need after a disaster to assess and address mental health sequelae from previous traumatic exposures.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en

Keywords

Hurricane Sandy; Optimism; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Trajectories; World Trade Center