Trajectories of Psychological Distress Among Individuals Exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center Disaster

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alper HE ; Brackbill RH ; Jacobson MH ; Ko TM
• Description:
  Background: Individuals present in lower Manhattan during the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster suffered from significant physical and psychological trauma. Studies of longitudinal psychological distress among those exposed to trauma have been limited to relatively short durations of follow-up among smaller samples. Methods: The current study longitudinally assessed heterogeneity in trajectories of psychological distress among WTC Health Registry enrollees - a prospective cohort health study of responders, students, employees, passersby, and residents in the affected area (N = 30 839) - throughout a 15-year period following the WTC disaster. Rescue/recovery status and exposure to traumatic events of 9/11, as well as sociodemographic factors and health status, were assessed as risk factors for trajectories of psychological distress. Results: Five psychological distress trajectory groups were found: none-stable, low-stable, moderate-increasing, moderate-decreasing, and high-stable. Of the study sample, 78.2% were classified as belonging to the none-stable or low-stable groups. Female sex, being younger at the time of 9/11, lower education and income were associated with a higher probability of being in a greater distress trajectory group relative to the none-stable group. Greater exposure to traumatic events of 9/11 was associated with a higher probability of a greater distress trajectory, and community members (passerby, residents, and employees) were more likely to be in greater distress trajectory groups - especially in the moderate-increasing [odds ratios (OR) 2.31 (1.97-2.72)] and high-stable groups [OR 2.37 (1.81-3.09)] - compared to the none-stable group. Conclusions: The current study illustrated the heterogeneity in psychological distress trajectories following the 9/11 WTC disaster, and identified potential avenues for intervention in future disasters. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cohort Studies Emergency Responders Mental Health Occupational Health Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Keywords:
  9/11 Author Keywords: Psychological Distress Cohort Studies Disaster Disaster Recovery Longitudinal Study Psychological Effects Rescue Workers Trajectory Analysis Traumatic Incident Stress World Trade Center WTC

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• ISSN:
  0033-2917
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Michigan ; New York ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  52
• Issue:
  14
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067269
• Citation:
  Psychol Med 2022 Oct; 52(14):2950-2961
• Contact Point Address:
  Howard E. Alper, World Trade Center Health Registry, Division of Epidemiology, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY 10013, USA
• Email:
  halper@health.nyc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  New York City Health/Mental Hygiene
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20090430
• Source Full Name:
  Psychological Medicine
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c8a05a3461c938d583547ed34bf871f19c696943187c54f448ac018f49a9c81fb27bc90ed5a8b8450acd624f79a9d5b315b36262921dc3ad29d0e0924f0080f9
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/231382/cdc_231382_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 386.25 KB ]