Physical & Mental Health Outcomes

Unlike most disaster studies, which focus exclusively on PTSD, depression, and other psychological outcomes, the RISK Project also collected a wide range of data on health related outcomes.  In particular, multiple waves of both pre- and post-Katrina data were collected on survivors’  reports of asthma, blood pressure, back problems,  headaches, body mass index (BMI), substance use, as well as their feelings of depression and other psychological outcomes.

Publications:

Zacher M, Raker EJ, Arcaya MC, Lowe SR, Rhodes J, Waters MC. Physical Health Symptoms and Hurricane Katrina: Individual Trajectories of Development and Recovery More Than a Decade After the Storm. American Journal of Public Health. 2021;111(1):127-35.

Raker EJ, Arcaya MC, Lowe SR, Zacher M, Rhodes J, Waters MC. Mitigating Health Disparities After Natural Disasters: Lessons From The RISK Project: Study examines mitigating health disparities after natural disasters. Health Affairs. 2020;39(12):2128-35.

Schnake-Mahl A, Sommers BD, Subramanian S, Waters MC, Arcaya M. Effects of gentrification on health status after Hurricane Katrina. Health & Place. 2020;61:102237.

Raker EJ, Zacher M, Lowe SR. Lessons from Hurricane Katrina for predicting the indirect health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2020;117(23):12595-7.

Lowe SR, Raker EJ, Waters MC, Rhodes JE. Predisaster predictors of posttraumatic stress symptom trajectories: An analysis of low-income women in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. PLOS ONE. 2020;15(10):e0240038.

Lowe SR, Raker EJ, Arcaya MC, Zacher ML, Waters MC, Rhodes JE. A Life‐Course Model of Trauma Exposure and Mental Health Among Low‐Income Survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2020;33(6):950-61.

Manove EE, Lowe SR, Bonumwezi J, Preston J, Waters MC, Rhodes JE. Posttraumatic growth in low-income Black mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 2019;89(2):144-58.

Raker, E. J., Lowe, S. R., Arcaya, M. C., Johnson, S. T., Rhodes, J. & Waters, M. C. (2019). Twelve Years Later: The long-term mental health consequences of Hurricane Katrina.” Social Science & Medicine, 242. doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112610 

Arcaya, M. C., Lowe, S. R., Asad, A. L., Subramanian, S. V., Waters, M. C. & Rhodes, J. (2016). Association of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms with migraine and headache after a natural disaster. Health Psychology, 36(5), 411-418. doi:10.1037/hea0000433.

Waters, M. C. (2016). Life after Hurricane Katrina: The Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) Project. Sociological Forum, 31(S1), 750-769. doi:10.1177/socf.12271.

Bosick, S. (2015). “Pushed out on my own”: The impact of Hurricane Katrina in the lives of low-income emerging adults. Sociological Perspectives, 58(2), 243-263. doi:10.1177/0731121414561124.

Lowe, S. R., Rhodes, J. E. & Waters, M. C. (2015). Understanding resilience and other trajectories of psychological distress: A mixed-methods study of low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 34(3), 537-550. doi:10.1007/s12144-015-9362-6.

Arcaya, M., James, P., Rhodes, J. E., Waters, M. C. & Subramanian, S. V. (2014). Urban sprawl and body mass index among displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors. Preventive Medicine, 65, 40-46. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.04.006.

Arcaya, M. C., Lowe, S. R., Rhodes, J. E., Waters, M. C. & Subramanian, S. V. (2014). Association of PTSD symptoms with asthma attacks among Hurricane Katrina survivors. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27(6), 725-729. doi:10.1002/jts.21976.

Chan, C. S. & Rhodes J. E. (2014). Measuring exposure in Hurricane Katrina: A meta-analysis and an integrative data analysis. PLoS ONE, 9(4), e92899. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092899.

Fussell, E. & Lowe, S. R. (2014). The impact of housing displacement on the mental health of low-income parents after Hurricane Katrina. Social Science and Medicine  113, 137-144. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.05.025.

Calvo, R., Arcaya, M., Baum, C. F., Lowe, S. R. & Waters, M. C. (2014). Happily ever after? Pre and post disaster determinants of happiness among survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Happiness Studies, 16(2), 427–442. doi:10.1007/s10902-014-9516-5.

Lowe, S. R., Willis, M. & Rhodes, J. E. (2013). Health problems among low-income parents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Health Psychology, 33(8), 774-782. doi:10.1037/hea0000016.

Lowe, S. R. & Rhodes, J. E. (2013). Trajectories of psychological distress among low-income, female survivors of Hurricane Katrina. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 83(203), 398-412. doi: 10.1111/ajop.12019

Paxson, C., Fussell, E., Rhodes, J. & Waters, M. (2012). Five years later: Recovery from post traumatic stress and psychological distress among low-income mothers affected by Hurricane Katrina. Social Science & Medicine, 74(2), 150-157. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.10.004.

Chan, C. S., Rhodes, J. E. & Perez, J. E. (2011). A prospective study of religiousness and psychological distress among female survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. American Journal of Community Psychology, 49(1-2), 168-181. doi:10.1007/s10464-011-9445-y.

Lowe, S. R., Chan, C. S. & Rhodes, J. E. (2011). The impact of child-related stressors on the psychological functioning of lower-income mothers after Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Family Issues, 32(10), 1303-1324. doi: 10.1177/0192513X11412492.

Lowe, S. R., Lustig, K., & Marrow, H. B. (2011). African American women’s reports of racism during Hurricane Katrina: Variation by interviewer race. New School Psychology Bulletin, 8(2), 46-57.

Rhodes, J. E., Chan, C. S., Paxson, C., Rouse, C. E., Waters, M. & Fussell, E. (2010). The impact of Hurricane Katrina on the mental and physical health of low-income parents in New Orleans. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 80(2), 237-247. doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01027.x.

Zwiebach, L., Rhodes, J. & Roemer, L. (2010). Resource loss, resource gain, and mental health among survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 23(6), 751–758. doi:10.1002/jts.20579.

Lowe, S. R., Rhodes, J. E., Zwiebach, L. & Chan, C. S. (2009). The impact of pet loss on perceived social support and psychological distress among Hurricane Katrina survivors. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 22(3), 244-247. doi:10.1002/jts.20403.

Paxson, C. & Rouse, C. E. (2008). Returning to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. American Economic Review, 98(2), 38-42. doi: 10.1257/aer.98.2.38