Cumulative effects of the Gulf oil spill and other disasters on mental health among reproductive-aged women: The Gulf Resilience on Women's Health study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To test whether effects of multiple (up to 5) disasters on mental health responses were cumulative (additive effects), or whether an earlier disaster produced sensitization (higher) or habituation (lower) responses to a later one.

Method

The Gulf Resilience on Women's Health study interviewed 1,366 southern Louisiana women regarding their exposure to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike and the Gulf oil spill (measured several ways), and administered validated measures of symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Multiple linear and logistic regression with disaster exposures entered singly, combined, and as an interaction were used to model mental health.

Results

Both exposure to the oil spill and hurricane disaster were associat

SUBMITTER: Harville EW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10948975 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature