title: Job loss, unemployment, work stress, job satisfaction, and the persistence of posttraumatic stress disorder one year after the September 11 attacks.
abstract: The influence of unemployment and adverse work conditions on the course of psychopathology after a mass disaster is unclear. We recruited a representative sample of adults living in the New York City metropolitan area six months after the September 11 attacks and completed follow-up interviews on 71% of the baseline sample six months later (N = 1939). At follow-up, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) persisted in 42.7% of the 149 cases with PTSD at baseline. In multivariable models, unemployment at any time since baseline predicted PTSD persistence in the entire cohort (P = 0.02) and among persons employed at follow-up (P = 0.02). High levels of perceived work stress predicted PTSD persistence among persons employed at follow-up (P = 0.02). Persons unemployed in the aftermath of a disaster may be at risk for poor mental health in the long-term.
authors.affiliation: Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-5283, USA.
authors.forename: Arijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nandi
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galea
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tracy
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahern
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gershon
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlahov
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011336:Probability; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D023481:Terrorism / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014504:Urban Health