Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Functional Impairment Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees 14–15 Years After the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brackbill, Robert M. ; Gargano, Lisa M. ; Jacobson, Melanie H. ; Trivedi, Nitu U.
• Description:
  The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City (9/11) had health-related consequences, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is associated with functional impairment, which varies by symptom severity and other factors. This study aimed to identify predictors of functional impairment in individuals with low versus high PTSD symptom severity levels. WTC Health Registry enrollees exposed to 9/11 were surveyed four times between 2003 and 2015; cumulated data for individuals who endorsed at least one symptom on the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) at Wave 4 (2015-2016) were included (N = 30,287) and examined cross-sectionally. Individuals were classified based on PCL-C scores as having low/no (2-29) or high levels of PTSD symptom severity (≥ 44). Functional impairment was defined as subsequent difficulties in daily living. Among low/no PTSD severity participants, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the associations between functional impairment and poor self-rated health (vs. good), low social support (vs. high), and no physical activity (vs. active) were 1.23-1.92. In the same group, low versus high household income was associated with more functional impairment, aOR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.13, 1.59]. Among participants with high-level PTSD symptoms, women, aOR = 1.70, 95% CI [1.31, 2.20], and Hispanic enrollees, aOR = 1.76, 95% CI [1.31, 2.36], were more likely to report an absence of impairment. Self-rated health, social support, and physical activity emerged as important predictors of PTSD-related functional impairment across PTSD symptom severity levels, supporting clinical interventions targeting these factors. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Keywords:
  Health Effects Mental Health Post-traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD Terrorism World Trade Center WTC
• ISSN:
  0894-9867
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; New York ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  15 pdf pages
• Volume:
  36
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067009
• Citation:
  J Trauma Stress 2023 Feb; 36(1):44-58
• Contact Point Address:
  Melanie Jacobson, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Environmental Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, 462 1st Avenue, Building A, 8th floor, Room 850, New York, NY 10016
• Email:
  melanie.jacobson2@nyulangone.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  New York City Health/Mental Hygiene
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20090430
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Traumatic Stress
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c111667feba3b14cdcae3f9ba6842b9b4ad56ffb4c3101fb27d76489f2f5081959223d87af4bab2d2421a0081da59d76780ad9ec169cf7740aebfda8d3a0830b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230669/cdc_230669_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 294.61 KB ]