Open AccessLessons from Hurricane Katrina for predicting the indirect health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic
Author(s) -
Ethan J. Raker,
Meghan Zacher,
Sarah R. Lowe
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2006706117
Subject(s) - pandemic , mental health , stressor , socioeconomic status , covid-19 , public health , environmental health , hurricane katrina , health care , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , medicine , poison control , psychology , medical emergency , psychiatry , natural disaster , disease , nursing , geography , political science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , population , pathology , meteorology , law
Beyond their immediate effects on mortality, disasters have widespread, indirect impacts on mental and physical well-being by exposing survivors to stress and potential trauma. Identifying the disaster-related stressors that predict health adversity will help officials prepare for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Using data from a prospective study of young, low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina, we find that bereavement, fearing for loved ones’ well-being, and lacking access to medical care and medications predict adverse mental and physical health 1 y postdisaster, and some effects persist 12 y later. Adjusting for preexisting health and socioeconomic conditions attenuates, but does not eliminate, these associations. The findings, while drawn from a demographically unique sample, suggest that, to mitigate the indirect effects of COVID-19, lapses in medical care and medication use must be minimized, and public health resources should be directed to those with preexisting medical conditions, their social networks, and the bereaved.