title: Not so close but still extremely loud: recollection of the World Trade Center terror attack and previous hurricanes moderates the association between exposure to hurricane Sandy and posttraumatic stress symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study examined whether recollections of the World Trade Center (WTC) terror attack and previous hurricanes moderated the relationship between exposure to Hurricane Sandy and related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online sample of 1000 participants from affected areas completed self-report questionnaires a month after Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States. Participants reported their exposure to Hurricane Sandy, their PTSD symptoms, and recollections of the WTC terror attack and previous hurricanes elicited due to Hurricane Sandy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to Hurricane Sandy was related to PTSD symptoms among those with high level of recollections of the WTC terror attack and past hurricanes, but not among those with low level of recollections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The aftermath of exposure to Hurricane Sandy is related not only to exposure, but also to its interaction with recollections of past traumas. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for practitioners and health policy makers in evaluating and interpreting the impact of past memories on future natural disasters. This may help in intervention plans of social and psychological services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: ypalgi@research.haifa.ac.il.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Palgi
authors.affiliation: The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shrira
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
authors.forename: Yaira
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hamama-Raz
authors.affiliation: Rambam Medical Center and the Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palgi
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences, Brunel University, Uxbridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben-Ezra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks; D012919:Social Behavior; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States