Health assessment and health care access among internally displaced persons in Mississippi travel trailer parks: Two years after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricane season

Previous reports have shown a substantially high burden of chronic diseases, including mental illness, among persons displaced by the 2005 U.S. Gulf Coast hurricane season who are residing in various temporary housing situations. As of November 2007, approximately 50,000 households were still residing in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-supported travel trailer park communities in the Gulf Coast region. The impact of protracted displacement on the health status and health care needs of these internally displaced persons (IDPs) has not been evaluated. We conducted a population-based assessment of chronic disease, mental health status, and health care access of travel trailer residents in Mississippi to identify barriers to and gaps in the provision of health care services for this displaced population. Using a structured questionnaire, information was gathered from 610 respondents pertaining to demographics, displacement, self-reported health status, the extent and types of health care services that have been needed and accessed during displacement, as well as depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completions, reproductive and child health, and mortality. Our findings indicate a worsening of chronic disease and mental illness, and barriers to health care access since arrival to the trailer parks. In order to meet the health care needs of persons displaced by disaster, developing and implementing guidelines for ensuring the availability of primary and mental health care should be made the priority.