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  • Mental health challenges and experiences in displaced populations following Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Harvey: the need for more comprehensive interventions in temporary shelters

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Mental health challenges and experiences in displaced populations following Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Harvey: the need for more comprehensive interventions in temporary shelters
  1. Emanuela Taioli1,2,
  2. Stephanie Tuminello1,2,
  3. Wil Lieberman-Cribbin1,2,
  4. Kristin Bevilacqua2,3,
  5. Samantha Schneider2,3,
  6. Maria Guzman2,3,
  7. Samantha Kerath4,
  8. Rebecca M Schwartz1,2,5
  1. 1Department of Population Health Science and Policy and Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
  2. 2Center for Disaster Health, Trauma, and Resilience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Stony Brook, Northwell Health, New York, USA
  3. 3Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Northwell Health, Great Neck, New York, USA
  4. 4Department of Biomedical Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, USA
  5. 5Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra-Northwell, New Hyde Park, New York, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Emanuela Taioli, Population Health Science and Policy and Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; emanuela.taioli{at}mountsinai.org

Abstract

Hurricane exposure can have a profound impact on mental health, leading to increased symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that are still present years after the storm. Those displaced following a hurricane are particularly vulnerable to adverse mental health outcomes, especially if displaced to temporary shelters. The current work highlights the experiences and mental health challenges of displaced populations following Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Harvey, as well as describing barriers to conducting research in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and the need for more comprehensive interventions in these vulnerable populations.

  • mental health
  • environmental epidemiology
  • disaster relief

https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2018-210626

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors ST, KB, SS, MG and SK all participated in the data collection and analysis. WL-C helped with the study design. ET and RMS conceptualised the studies. All authors participated in the essay writing.

    • Funding Association of State Territorial and Health Officials: ASTHO 64-45471. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response: HITEP150029-01-00. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: U01-TP000573-01. Departmental funding, OMEP, Northwell Health. Stony Brook-Mount Sinai Alliance Pilot Project.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Not required.

    • Ethics approval Northwell Health IRB, Mount Sinai IRB.

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.