Hispanic ethnicity and post-traumatic stress disorder after a disaster: evidence from a general population survey after September 11, 2001.
OBJECTIVE
To assess ethnic differences in the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a disaster, and to assess the factors that may explain these differences.


METHODS
We used data from a representative survey of the New York City metropolitan area (n=2,616) conducted 6 months after September 11, 2001. Linear models were fit to assess differences in the prevalence of PTSD between different groups of Hispanics and non-Hispanics and to evaluate potential explanatory variables.


RESULTS
Hispanics of Dominican or Puerto Rican origin (14.3% and 13.2%, respectively) were more likely than other Hispanics (6.1%) and non-Hispanics (5.2%) to report symptoms consistent with probable PTSD after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Dominicans and Puerto Ricans were more likely than persons of other races/ethnicities to have lower incomes, be younger, have lower social support, have had greater exposure to the September 11 attacks, and to have experienced a peri-event panic attack upon hearing of the September 11 attacks; these variables accounted for 60% to 74% of the observed higher prevalence of probable PTSD in these groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Socio-economic position, event exposures, social support, and peri-event emotional reactions may help explain differences in PTSD risk after disaster between Hispanic subgroups and non-Hispanics.
Galea
Sandro
S
Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Vlahov
David
D
Tracy
Melissa
M
Hoover
Donald R
DR
Resnick
Heidi
H
Kilpatrick
Dean
D
D000328:Adult; D004190:Disasters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires