Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

Abstract #157929

• Slides (pdf) or Handout
• Slides (pdf) or Handout

Susan Bergson, MPH, Urban Health Initiatives, Louisiana Public Health Institute, 1515 Poydras, Suite 1200, New Orleans, LA 70112, 504-301-9836, sbergson@lphi.org, Sarah Hoffpauir, MSW, LCSW, Behavioral Health Action Group, Louisiana Public Health Institute, 1515 Poydras St, Suite 1200, New Orleans, LA 70112, Gregory Stone, MS, Department of International Health and Development, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1808 Burgundy St, New Orleans, LA 70116, Erin Bertschy, Fostering Emerging Institutes Project, National Network of Public Health Institutes, 1515 Poydras Street, Suite 1200, New Orleans, LA 70112, Maria J. Sirois, MSPH, Department of Biostatistics, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, Lisanne Brown, PhD, Department of International Health and Development, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112, and Clayton Williams, MPH, Louisiana Public Health Institute, 1515 Poydras Street, Suite 1200, New Orleans, LA 70112.

The damage and disruption caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita has dramatically impacted the state of mental health in Louisiana. Results of the 2006 Louisiana Health and Population Survey have indicated that the need for behavioral health services has exceeded the existing system capacity in the wake of the storm. This survey assessed parish-level prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) in the Greater New Orleans area using the K6 screening scale for psychological distress. Initial analysis indicates SMI prevalence levels are elevated compared with the norm, and are consistent with those found in populations that have recently been affected by traumatic events such as large-scale natural disasters. In Orleans Parish, 16.3% of respondents met criteria for serious mental illness, in Jefferson Parish, 8.3%, in Plaquemines Parish, 10.5% and in Saint Bernard Parish, 18.6%. Within this environment, access to mental health treatment is critically limited, particularly for the uninsured and those with Medicaid coverage. Lessons learned through a coalition of key mental health stakeholders in the region will be discussed, including policy initiatives and transformation of service delivery systems. In addition, detailed profile breakdowns and results of further analysis assessing the applicability of these findings to the general population in the affected region will be presented. Results will assist policy-makers in making resource allocation decisions and advance preparedness efforts to assist in future disasters.

Learning Objectives:

• -Describe the prevalence of Serious Mental Illness (SMI) using the K6 scale in hurricane affected parishes- Orleans, Jefferson, Saint Bernard and Plaquemines
• -Identify predictors of SMI in a post-disaster setting
• -Discuss implications for behavioral health resource allocation, recovery and emergency preparedness efforts

Keywords: Mental Health, Disasters

Related Web page: www.popest.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout
• Slides (pdf) or Handout