The RISK Project has published more than 40 studies on how Hurricane Katrina has shaped our participants’ well-being. These analyses have provided critical insights into physical and mental health outcomes, residential mobility, social support, child well-being, education and economic outcomes, posttraumatic growth, and more. Select publications have been featured in the American Journal of Public Health, Health Affairs, Health Psychology, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Findings have enabled the RISK Project team to identify a broad range of factors that influence post-disaster well-being over the course of time.

Mental Health Outcomes

Zacher, M., et al. (2023). SSM Mental Health.

Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in longitudinal study of Hurricane Katrina survivors

Raker, E. J., et al. (2023). Population and Environment.

Disasters and subjective assessments of recovery in the long run

Arkin, M., et al. (2022). American Psychological Association.

Associations between religious coping and long-term mental health in survivors of Hurricane Katrina

Lowe SR, et al. (2020). Journal of Traumatic Stress.

A Life‐Course Model of Trauma Exposure and Mental Health Among Low‐Income Survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Lowe SR, et al. (2020). PLOS One.

Predisaster predictors of posttraumatic stress symptom trajectories: An analysis of low-income women in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Raker EJ, et al. (2020). Health Affairs.

Mitigating health disparities after natural disasters: Lessons From The RISK Project.

Raker EJ, et al. (2020). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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

Manove, E., et al. (2019). American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

Posttraumatic growth in low-income Black mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina. 

Raker, E.J., et al. (2019). Social Science & Medicine.

Twelve years later: The long-term mental health consequences of Hurricane Katrina.

Arcaya, M.C., et al. (2017). Health Psychology.

Association of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms With Migraine and Headache After a Natural Disaster.

Lowe, S. R., et al. (2015). Current Psychology.

Understanding resilience and other trajectories of psychological distress: A mixed-methods study of low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina.

Arcaya, M. C., et al. (2014). Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Association of PTSD symptoms with asthma attacks among Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Calvo, R., et al. (2014). Journal of Happiness Studies.

Happily ever after? Pre and post disaster determinants of happiness among survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Dunn, E. C., et al. (2014). Journal of Affective Disorders.

Interaction between genetic variants and exposure to Hurricane Katrina on post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth: A prospective analysis of low income adults 

Fussell, E. & Lowe, S. R. (2014). Social Science and Medicine.

The impact of housing displacement on the mental health of low-income parents after Hurricane Katrina.

Lowe, S. R. & Rhodes, J. E. (2013). American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

 Trajectories of psychological distress among low-income, female survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Paxson, C., et al. (2012). Social Science & Medicine.

Five years later: Recovery from post traumatic stress and psychological distress among low-income mothers affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Chan, C. S., et al. (2011). American Journal of Community Psychology.

A prospective study of religiousness and psychological distress among female survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Lowe, S. R., et al. (2011). Journal of Family Issues.

The impact of child-related stressors on the psychological functioning of lower-income mothers after Hurricane Katrina.

Rhodes, J., et al. (2010). American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

The impact of Hurricane Katrina on the mental and physical health of low-income parents in New Orleans 

Zwiebach, L., et al. (2010). Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Resource loss, resource gain, and mental health among survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Lowe, S. R., et al. (2009). Journal of Traumatic Stress.

The impact of pet loss on perceived social support and psychological distress among Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Physical Health Outcomes

Zacher M, et al. (2021). American Journal of Public Health.

Physical health symptoms and Hurricane Katrina: Individual trajectories of development and recovery more than a decade after the storm.

Raker EJ, et al. (2020). Health Affairs.

Mitigating health disparities after natural disasters: Lessons From The RISK Project.

Raker EJ, et al. (2020). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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

Schnake-Mahl A, et al. (2020). Health & Place.

Effects of gentrification on health status after Hurricane Katrina.

Arcaya, M. C., et al. (2016). Health Psychology.

Association of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms with migraine and headache after a natural disaster.

Arcaya, M., et al. (2014). Preventive Medicine.

Urban sprawl and body mass index among displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Lowe, S. R., et al. (2013). Health Psychology.

Health problems among low-income parents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 

Rhodes, J., et al. (2010). American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

The impact of Hurricane Katrina on the mental and physical health of low-income parents in New Orleans 

Residential Mobility

Schnake-Mahl, A., et al. (2020). Health & Place.

Effects of gentrification on health status after Hurricane Katrina.

Graif, C. (2016). Population and Environment.

(Un)natural disaster: Vulnerability, long-distance displacement, and the extended geography of neighborhood distress and attainment after Katrina.

Asad, A. L. (2015). Population and Environment.

Contexts of reception, post-disaster migration, and socioeconomic mobility. 

Bosick, S. (2015). Sociological Perspectives.

 “Pushed out on my own”: The impact of Hurricane Katrina in the lives of low-income emerging adults.

Arcaya, M. C., et al. (2014). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Role of health in predicting moves to poor neighborhoods among Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Fussell, E. & Harris, E. (2014). Social Science Quarterly.

Homeownership and vulnerability to housing displacement after Hurricane Katrina.

Fussell, E. & Lowe, S.R. (2014). Social Science & Medicine.

The impact of housing displacement on mental health among low-income parents after Hurricane Katrina.

Paxson, C. & Rouse, C.E. (2008). American Economic Review.

Returning to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

Social Support

Morris, K. A. & Deterding, N.M. (2016). Social Science & Medicine.

The emotional cost of distance: Geographic social network dispersion and post-traumatic stress among survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Bosick, S. (2015). Sociological Perspectives.

 “Pushed out on my own”: The impact of Hurricane Katrina in the lives of low-income emerging adults.

Chan, C.S., et al. (2015). Social Science & Medicine.

The contribution of pre- and postdisaster social support to short- and long-term mental health after Hurricanes Katrina: A longitudinal study of low-income survivors.

Lowe, S.R., et al. (2012). Psychology of Women Quarterly.

Changes in marital and partner relationships in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina an analysis with low-income women.

Lowe, S.R., et al. (2010). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Pre-hurricane perceived social support protects against psychological distress: A longitudinal analysis of Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Lowe, S. R., et al. (2009). Journal of Traumatic Stress.

The impact of pet loss on perceived social support and psychological distress of Hurricane survivors.

Child Outcomes

Lowe, S. R., et al. (2013). Journal of Applied Development Psychology.

Predicting mothers’ reports of children’s mental health three years after Hurricane Katrina.

Lowe, S. R., et al. (2011). Journal of Family Issues.

The impact of child related stressors on the psychological functioning of lower-income mothers after Hurricane Katrina.

Methodology

Deterding, N.M. & Waters, M. C. (2021). Sociological Methods & Research.

Flexible coding of in-depth interviews: A twenty-first-century approach.

Waters, M.C. (2016). Sociological Forum.

Life after Hurricane Katrina: The Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) Project

Chan, C.S. & Rhodes, J.E. (2014). PLoS ONE.

Measuring exposure in Hurricane Katrina: A meta-analysis and an integrative data analysis.

Lowe, S.R., et al. (2012). Journal of Traumatic Stress.

What can multi-wave studies teach us about disaster research?: An analysis of low-income Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Lowe, S.R. (2011). New School Psychology Bulletin.

African American women’s reports of racism during Hurricane Katrina: Variation by interviewer race.

Education and Economic Outcomes

Deterding, N. (2015). Sociology of Education.

Instrumental and expressive education: College planning in the face of poverty.

Lowe, S. R. & Rhodes, J. E. (2012). Journal of College Student Retention.

Community college re-enrollment after Hurricane Katrina.

Posttraumatic Growth

Manove, E. E., et al. (2021). Traumatology.

Changes in psychosocial resources as predictors of posttraumatic growth: A longitudinal study of low-income, female Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Manove, E. E., et al. (2019). American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

Posttraumatic growth in low-income Black mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina.

Dunn, E. C., et al. (2014). Journal of Affective Disorders.

Interaction between genetic variants and exposure to Hurricane Katrina on post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth: A prospective analysis of low income adults.

Chan, C. S. & Rhodes, J. E. (2013). Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Religious coping, posttraumatic stress, psychological distress, and posttraumatic growth among female survivors four years after Hurricane Katrina.

Lowe, S. R., et al. (2013). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth among low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina.