Post-disaster stressful life events and WTC-related posttraumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and overall functioning among responders to the World Trade Center disaster

Publication Date

2015

Journal Title

J Psychiatr Res

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The current study examined contributions of post-disaster stressful life events in relation to the maintenance of WTC-related posttraumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and overall functioning among rescue, recovery, and clean-up workers who responded to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks. METHODS: Participants were 18,896 WTC responders, including 8466 police officers and 10,430 non-traditional responders (85.8% male; 86.4% Caucasian; Mage = 39.5, SD = 8.8) participating in the WTC Health Program who completed an initial examination between July, 2002 and April, 2010 and who were reassessed, on average, 2.5 years later. RESULTS: Path analyses were conducted to evaluate contributions of life events to the maintenance of WTC-related posttraumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and overall functioning. These analyses were stratified by police and non-traditional responder groups and adjusted for age, sex, time from 9/11 to initial visit, WTC exposures (three WTC contextual exposures: co-worker, friend, or a relative died in the disaster; co-worker, friend, or a relative injured in the disaster; and responder was exposed to the dust cloud on 9/11), and interval from initial to first follow-up visit. In both groups, WTC-related posttraumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and overall functioning were stable over the follow-up period. WTC exposures were related to these three outcomes at the initial assessment. WTC-related posttraumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and overall functioning, at the initial assessment each predicted the occurrence of post-disaster stressful life events, as measured by Disaster Supplement of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Post-disaster stressful life events, in turn, were associated with subsequent mental health, indicating partial mediation of the stability of observed mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest a dynamic interplay between exposure, post-disaster stressful life events, and WTC-related posttraumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and overall functioning among WTC disaster responders.

Volume Number

61

Pages

97-105

Document Type

Article

EPub Date

2014/12/17

Status

Faculty

Facility

School of Medicine

Primary Department

Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention

PMID

25499737

DOI

10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.11.010

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