Lessons from Hurricane Katrina for predicting the indirect health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

Ethan J. Raker (), Meghan Zacher () and Sarah R. Lowe
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Ethan J. Raker: Department of Sociology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
Meghan Zacher: Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
Sarah R. Lowe: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020, vol. 117, issue 23, 12595-12597

Abstract: Beyond their immediate effects on mortality, disasters have widespread, indirect impacts on mental and physical well-being by exposing survivors to stress and potential trauma. Identifying the disaster-related stressors that predict health adversity will help officials prepare for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Using data from a prospective study of young, low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina, we find that bereavement, fearing for loved ones’ well-being, and lacking access to medical care and medications predict adverse mental and physical health 1 y postdisaster, and some effects persist 12 y later. Adjusting for preexisting health and socioeconomic conditions attenuates, but does not eliminate, these associations. The findings, while drawn from a demographically unique sample, suggest that, to mitigate the indirect effects of COVID-19, lapses in medical care and medication use must be minimized, and public health resources should be directed to those with preexisting medical conditions, their social networks, and the bereaved.

Keywords: disasters; COVID-19 pandemic; Hurricane Katrina; mental health; physical health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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