Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111396

Lisa Brown, PhD¹, John A. Schinka, PhD², Amy Borenstein, PhD³, and James A. Mortimer, PhD³. (1) Department of Aging and Mental Health, University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., 1441, Tampa, FL 33612, Phone: (813)974-0098, lmbrown@fmhi.usf.edu, (2) Department of Psychiatry, University of South Florida and Haley Veterans Hospital, 13300 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. 116-B, Psychology Service, Tampa, FL 33612, (3) Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612

Most research examining the effects of disaster on psychological function have employed either cross-sectional post-disaster designs or pre- and post-disaster designs under conditions in which the disaster was predictable (i.e., floods). Such designs suffer from threats to validity because of the potential for pre-existing differences in mental health status. In this study we report the results of the disaster impact in a sample of older adults (n = 186) who were participants in the Charlotte County Healthy Aging Study (CCHAS), a longitudinal epidemiologic study of aging and cognitive change. In the summer of 2004, four hurricanes devastated Florida in a period of 44 days. Charlotte County was a focal point of this devastation. The CCHAS dataset offers a unique opportunity to study the effects of Hurricane Charley on older adults because it provides extensive pre-disaster data from two comprehensive evaluations (1997 and 2002): structured clinical interviews, blood samples for genetic testing, and a comprehensive battery of assessments measuring personality, cognitive functioning, mental health, social support, coping, and mastery. Following the hurricanes, a battery of assessments and a hurricane questionnaire were administered to CCHAS participants at 2 and 8 months to examine short-term distress and changes in mental health functioning and well-being over time. This study reports preliminary findings about the role of personality, social support, property loss, community destruction, experience of past disasters, support, resources, and other predictors of adjustment in a sample of older adults following a major disaster.

Learning Objectives: From attending this session, participants will be able to

• Identify premorbid factors that are associated with psychological distress in older adults following a hurricane.
• Understand the role of personality in shaping reaction to disaster.
• Characterize the influence of social support, quality of life, and resources on recovery from disaster.
• Describe factors related to risk for posttraumatic stress disorder in older adults following a disaster.

Keywords: Mental Health, Disasters

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.