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Cited by 190Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchDisaster Management and ResilienceEarthquake and Disaster Impact Studies

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

Open access
Fussell, Elizabeth, Lowe, Sarah R.·2014·Social Science & Medicine
DOI 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.05.025PMC PMC4096953
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Abstract

Previous studies in the aftermath of natural disasters have demonstrated relationships between four dimensions of displacement - geographic distance from the predisaster community, type of postdisaster housing, number of postdisaster moves, and time spent in temporary housing - and adverse psychological outcomes. However, to date no study has explored how these dimensions operate in tandem. The literature is further limited by a reliance on postdisaster data. We addressed these limitations in a study of low-income parents, predominantly non-Hispanic Black single mothers, who survived Hurricane Katrina and who completed pre and postdisaster assessments (N = 392). Using latent profile analysis, we demonstrated three profiles of displacement experiences within the sample: (1) returned, characterized by return to a predisaster community; (2) relocated, characterized by relocation to a new community, and (3) unstably housed, characterized by long periods in temporary housing and multiple moves. Using regression analyses, we assessed the relationship between displacement profiles and three mental health outcomes (general psychological distress, posttraumatic stress, and perceived stress), controlling for predisaster characteristics and mental health indices and hurricane-related experiences. Relative to participants in the returned profile, those in the relocated profile had significantly higher general psychological distress and perceived stress, and those in the unstably housed profile had significantly higher perceived stress. Based on these results, we suggest interventions and policies that reduce postdisaster housing instability and prioritize mental health services in communities receiving evacuees.

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  • The results are consistent with prior studies that documented adverse mental health effects of displacement following natural disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

    “Our results are consistent with prior studies that have documented the adverse mental health effects of displacement following natural disasters. For example, research following Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy in the US demonstrated that displaced persons had higher rates of PTSD and depression compared to non-displaced persons [9,14]. Similarly, studies after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake”

    From Understanding the impact of natural disasters on post-traumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms: An examination of counterfactual displacement scenarios (2026) · cites this paper as [14]

    The Discussion reports that, among low-income parents after Hurricane Katrina, relocated participants had higher psychological distress and perceived stress than those who returned. It also says displacement profile was not associated with posttraumatic stress; depression was not one of this study’s measured outcomes. This paper therefore supports the broader adverse-mental-health point for Katrina, but not the attributed comparison for PTSD and depression. (LLM, conf=0.91)

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  • Most studies have not used methods that estimate the causal effect of displacement on mental health indicators.

    “Even among studies that have considered more representative samples, most studies have not used methods that estimate the causal effect of displacement on such mental health indicators [10,14].”

    From Understanding the impact of natural disasters on post-traumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms: An examination of counterfactual displacement scenarios (2026) · cites this paper as [14]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Lein L Angel R Beausoleil J Bell H Weber L Peek L 2012 The basement of extreme poverty: Katrina survivors and poverty programs Life in the Katrina diaspora 47 62 Austin, TX University of Texas Press

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Authors
Fussell, E., & Lowe, S. R.
Affiliations
  • Washington State University (US)
  • Columbia University (US)
Corresponding author
Fussell, Elizabeth
ORCID
Venue
Social Science & Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-07
Volume
113
Pages
137-144
ISSN
0277-9536 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.05.025
PMC
PMC4096953
OpenAlex
W2139048118
Cited by
190
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 1
FWCI
11.83
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Social Science & Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (R01HD046162)
  • National Science Foundation
  • MacArthur Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Disaster Management and Resilience
  • Social Sciences › Transportation › Earthquake and Disaster Impact Studies
Keywords
housing displacement, Hurricane Katrina, low-income parents, single mothers, non-Hispanic Black women, mental health, psychological distress, post-traumatic stress, perceived stress, temporary housing, housing instability, natural disasters, evacuees, displacement profiles
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Mental Disorders, Black or African American, Disasters, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Housing, Humans, Male, Parents, Poverty, Stress, Psychological, Young Adult, New Orleans, Cyclonic Storms

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