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:
  Author Keywords: Depression Comorbidity Disasters Mental Health Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Psychological Effects PTSD September 11 Terrorist Attacks Terrorism Traumatic Incident Stress World Trade Center WTC

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• 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
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bd7a93ff9d2d02b26c0de2cb667b0a04429184da0c56e72a15d4085bfe0993d6a72b6a492944b72a88433e1a13bccf0301fd5da9a7bfd59ec428b8017776a77f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211869/cdc_211869_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 245.18 KB ]