%0 Journal Article
%T Exposure to multiple disasters: the long-term effect of Hurricane Sandy (October 29, 2012) on NYC survivors of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack
%J Psychiatry research
%D 2019
%A Gargano, Lisa M.
%A Li, Jiehui
%A Millien, Lucie
%A Alper, Howard
%A Brackbill, Robert M.
%V 273
%N 
%P 719-724
%X 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.<br><br>Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Elsevier Publishing
%@ 0165-1781
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.01.090