The Long-Term Physical-Psychiatric Comorbidities Related to Childhood Exposure to 9/11 Trauma

Details

• Personal Author:
  Amsel L ; Cheslack-Postava K ; Cycowicz YM ; Hoven CW ; McReynolds LS ; Musa GJ ; Rodriguez-Moreno DV
• Description:
  Extensive research has explored the enduring effects of childhood trauma on health, revealing its potential to produce chronic health problems. Despite findings that adults exposed to 9/11 suffer from enduring concurrent psychiatric and physical illnesses, investigations into the long-term physical-psychiatric comorbidities experienced by children and adolescents affected by the 9/11 trauma remain limited. In our study, we examined individuals directly exposed to 9/11 as children (N = 844 high exposure and N = 104 low exposed) and compared them to a matched unexposed, control group (N = 491). Fourteen years after their 9/11 exposure, we evaluated their physical and mental health conditions using parent- or youth self-reported health questionnaires, including psychiatric assessments. Those individuals with high 9/11 exposure were significantly more likely to have experienced a psychiatric disorder in the past year and a lifetime physical health condition compared to unexposed individuals. Moreover, the prevalence of physical-psychiatric comorbidities was higher among the 9/11-exposed group, with a 3.5-fold increased prevalence compared to the unexposed group. This underscores how exposure to traumatic events during childhood heightens the risk of long-term concurrent mental and physical health issues. Our findings also highlight the importance of early and ongoing interventions to prevent future comorbidities and promote better quality of life throughout the lifespan. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Keywords:
  9/11 Adolescents Author Keywords: Comorbidity Children Disaster Health Effects Mental Health Psychological Effects Trauma Traumatic Incident Stress World Trade Center WTC

  More +
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  21
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070089
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2024 Aug; 21(8):988
• Contact Point Address:
  Lawrence Amsel, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
• Email:
  larry.amsel@nyspi.columbia.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  New York State Psychiatric Institute
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20120901
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• End Date:
  20170831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0aad6236412a760a1368f32d126a39a3852f2eeb23a47c9a7c01c46c40082a2dafbfc988ba5ae1e01a577dde682d939417ed49e993a5d7c31e9396047b845e7a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208382/cdc_208382_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 730.12 KB ]