title: Mental health outcomes among vulnerable residents after Hurricane Sandy: implications for disaster research and planning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate mental health outcomes among New Jersey shore residents with health impairments and disabilities after Hurricane Sandy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six months following Hurricane Sandy, a cross-sectional survey of 200 adults residing in beach communities directly exposed to the storm located in Monmouth County, NJ, was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, mental health service use, and medication use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of residents surveyed was 59 years (SD = 13.7) and 52.5 percent (95% CI = 45.5-59.4) reported recent hospitalizations, physical limitations, fair to poor health status, multiple chronic health conditions, or physical disabilities. A total of 14.5 percent (95% CI = 10.2-20.1) of residents screened positive for PTSD and 6.0 percent (95% CI = 3.1-10.2) met criteria for depression 6 months after Sandy. In addition, 20.5 percent (95% CI = 15.4-26.7) sought some type of professional counseling after Sandy and 30.5 percent (95% CI = 24.5-37.3) experienced PTSD symptoms, depression, sought professional mental health support, or used psychotropic medications. In multivariate analyses, the best predictors of mental health and service use were having sleep problems, suicidal thoughts, moderate or severe pain, and having high exposure hurricane-related events. Analyses also suggested that noncollege graduates were more likely to receive mental health services (OR = 3.10, p = 0.009), while women were less likely to have depression (OR = 0.12, p = 0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Having physical impairments and health conditions were not directly related to adverse mental health outcomes following Sandy, but having sleep problems, pain, or suicidal thoughts were. Further research is needed to assess the health status of community residents with serious health impairments over time following disasters.
authors: Center for Health Research, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Joseph A
authors: JA
authors: Boscarino
authors: Department of Neurology, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, Pennsylvania; Department of Neurology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Stuart N
authors: SN
authors: Hoffman
authors: Department of Sociology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.
authors: Richard E
authors: RE
authors: Adams
authors: School of Social Work, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors: Charles R
authors: CR
authors: Figley
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, New Jersey; Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
authors: Ramon
authors: R
authors: Solhkhah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs