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The Association Between Disaster-Related Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes Among Drug Using African American Hurricane Katrina Evacuees

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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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Notes

  1. Male, less than H.S. education, unemployed, left city before Katrina, with other variables set at means.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Houston, PGH 450, Houston, TX, 77204-3012, USA

    Alice Cepeda & Jarron M. Saint Onge

  2. Center for Drug and Social Policy Research, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Alice Cepeda, Jarron M. Saint Onge, Charles Kaplan & Avelardo Valdez

  3. Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Charles Kaplan & Avelardo Valdez

Authors
  1. Alice Cepeda
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  2. Jarron M. Saint Onge
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  3. Charles Kaplan
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  4. Avelardo Valdez
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Correspondence to Jarron M. Saint Onge.

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Cepeda, A., Saint Onge, J.M., Kaplan, C. et al. The Association Between Disaster-Related Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes Among Drug Using African American Hurricane Katrina Evacuees. Community Ment Health J 46, 612–620 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-009-9286-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-009-9286-4

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