title: Trajectories of psychological distress among low-income, female survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate trajectories of psychological distress among low-income, primarily unmarried and African American women who survived Hurricane Katrina (N = 386). Data were collected in the year prior to the hurricane as well as approximately 1 and 3 years thereafter. Using Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA), we detected 6 distinct trajectory groups. Over half of the participants fit into a trajectory consistent with resilience; that is, they maintained low levels of psychological distress over the course of the study, but experienced an elevation in symptoms at the first predisaster time point followed by a return to predisaster levels. The other trajectories reflected a range of psychological responses to disasters and indicated that predisaster functioning had a major influence on postdisaster psychological outcomes. Degree of exposure to hurricane-related stressors, experiences of human and pet bereavement, perceived social support, and socioeconomic status were significant predictors of trajectory group membership. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Boston, USA. srl2143@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Jean E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rhodes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001601:Bereavement; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004190:Disasters; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055820:New Orleans; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Hurricane Katrina; delayed distress; disaster exposure; displacement; human bereavement; hurricane survivors; pet loss; postdisaster psychological distress; women
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