Longitudinal Determinants of Depression Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees, 14–15 Years After the 9/11 Attacks

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brackbill RM ; Jacobson MH ; Nguyen A ; Norman C
• Description:
  Background: Exposure to the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks has been found to be associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid PTSD and depression up to 10-11 years post-disaster. However, little is known about the longitudinal predictors of mental health conditions over time. Methods: We examined longitudinal determinants of depression within strata of PTSD among 21,258 enrollees of the World Trade Center Health Registry who completed four questionnaires over 14 years of follow-up (Wave 1 in 2003-04; Wave 2 in 2005-06; Wave 3 in 2011-12; and Wave 4 in 2015-16). PTSD status was measured using the PTSD checklist on all four waves and defined as a score of > 44; depression was assessed using the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire at Waves 3 and 4 and defined as a score of > 10. Results: Across Waves 3 and 4, 18.6% experienced depression, and it was more common among those who ever had PTSD (56.1%) compared with those who had not (5.6%). Across PTSD strata, predictors of depression included low income, unemployment, low social integration and support, post-9/11 traumatic life events, and chronic physical illness. These factors also decreased the likelihood of recovering from depression. Limitations: Depression symptoms were not measured at Waves 1 and 2; data was self-reported. Conclusions: These findings highlight the substantial burden of depression in a trauma-exposed population 14-15 years post-disaster, especially among those with PTSD. Similar life stressors predicted the course of depression among those with and without PTSD which may inform public health and clinical interventions. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Mental Health
  • Nervous System
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
  • September 11 Terrorist Attacks
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Keywords:
  • Mental health
  • Psychological effects
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • PTSD
  • WTC
  • World Trade Center
  • Traumatic incident stress
  • Terrorism
  • Author Keywords: Depression
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder
  More +
• ISSN:
  0165-0327
• 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
• Pages in Document:
  483-490
• Volume:
  229
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052325
• Citation:
  J Affect Disord 2018 Mar; 229:483-490
• Contact Point Address:
  Melanie H. Jacobson, World Trade Center Health Registry, Division of Epidemiology, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY 10013
• Email:
  mjacobson@health.nyc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  New York City Health/Mental Hygiene
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20090430
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Affective Disorders
• End Date:
  20260630
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211869/cdc_211869_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 245.18 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bd7a93ff9d2d02b26c0de2cb667b0a04429184da0c56e72a15d4085bfe0993d6a72b6a492944b72a88433e1a13bccf0301fd5da9a7bfd59ec428b8017776a77f