![]() ![]() 4 – 6 Those able to return and work after the evacuation and long displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina are thought of as having the best resources, both financially and socially. Natural disasters of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina are known to exert significant mental health effects, with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) being the most studied and reported consequence. As a result of the storm, over one million people in the New Orleans metropolitan area were displaced, and all residents of New Orleans proper, an estimated 455,000 people, lived under a mandatory evacuation for 33 days. 1, 2 A series of levee breaks in New Orleans associated with the hurricane led to widespread flooding covering 80% of the city, an area of approximately 120 square miles. Hurricane Katrina made landfall just southeast of New Orleans, LA, on August 29, 2005, resulting in one of the worst natural disasters in US history. The strong relationship between displacement from ones’ pre-Katrina residence and symptoms of PTSD suggests a need to focus resource utilization and interventions on individuals living in temporary housing. ![]() Given their key role in the economic redevelopment of the region, there is a tremendous need to identify those in the workforce with symptoms consistent with PTSD and to enhance treatment options. A significant burden of PTSD symptoms was present 6 months following Hurricane Katrina among a large group of adults who had returned to work in New Orleans. Despite universal health coverage and the benefits of an employee assistance program for all employees, only 28.5% of those with PTSD symptoms had talked to a health professional about the events of Hurricane Katrina or issues encountered since the storm. Predictors of PTSD symptoms in a multivariate-adjusted regression model included female sex, non-black race, knowing someone who died in the storm, not having property insurance, having had a longer evacuation, a much longer work commute compared to before Hurricane Katrina, and currently living in a newly purchased or rented house or in a temporary trailer. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was 19.2%. Participants included 1,542 employees from the largest employer in New Orleans. To determine rates and predictors of symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in New Orleans residents following Hurricane Katrina, we conducted a web-based survey 6 months after Hurricane Katrina made landfall. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall resulting in catastrophic damage and flooding to New Orleans, LA, and the Gulf Coast, which may have had significant mental health effects on the population. ![]()
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