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Ron Acierno, PhD, Kenneth J. Ruggiero, PhD, Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, Heidi S. Resnick, PhD, Karestan Koenen, PhD, John Roitzsch, PhD, Michael de Arellano, PhD, John Boyle, PhD and Dean G. Kilpatrick, PhD

Ron Acierno, Kenneth J. Ruggiero, Heidi S. Resnick, John Roitzsch, Michael de Arellano, and Dean G. Kilpatrick are with the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. Sandro Galea is with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Karestan Koenen is with the School of Public Health, Harvard, Boston, Mass. John Boyle is with Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas, Inc, New York, NY.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Ron Acierno, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, PO Box 250852, Charleston, SC 29425 (e-mail: acierno{at}musc.edu).

Objectives. Data are limited regarding mental health effects of disasters such as hurricanes. We sought to determine the prevalence of and major risk factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive episode 6 to 9 months after the 2004 Florida hurricanes.

Methods. Random-digit dialing was used to recruit a representative population sample of 1452 hurricane-affected adults.

Results. Posthurricane prevalence for PTSD was 3.6%, for generalized anxiety disorder was 5.5%, and for major depressive episode was 6.1%. Risk factors varied somewhat across disorders, with the exception of previous exposure to traumatic events, which increased risk of all negative outcomes.

Conclusions. Storm exposure variables and displacement were associated primarily with PTSD. Notably, high social support in the 6 months preceding the hurricanes protected against all types of disorders.

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				S. Galea, C. R. Brewin, M. Gruber, R. T. Jones, D. W. King, L. A. King, R. J. McNally, R. J. Ursano, M. Petukhova, and R. C. Kessler Exposure to Hurricane-Related Stressors and Mental Illness After Hurricane Katrina Arch Gen Psychiatry, December 1, 2007; 64(12): 1427 - 1434. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]