Mental Illnesses Reported by 17% of New Orleans Residents After Hurricane Katrina, Study Finds

In the first month after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and surrounding areas in August 2005, 17% of the city's residents reported serious mental illness, compared with 10% of people living in areas near the city and an estimated prevalence of 1% to 3% in the general population, according to a study published Tuesday in the Archives of General Psychiatry, the New York Times reports. Lead author Sandro Galea, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, and colleagues from seven universities surveyed 1,043 adults from New Orleans and surrounding areas from January to March 2006.

They found that nearly half of New Orleans residents reported significant signs of anxiety in the first month after the storm and that women, young adults and people with lower incomes were hardest hit. The study found that most of the mental problems were caused by post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD symptoms often were associated with incidents that occurred after the storm, including robberies, assaults and property loss.

The authors said that the symptoms -- which include flashbacks, nightmares and hair-trigger temper -- are expected to alleviate for most people over time. For 3% to 10% of people, the symptoms could continue for a year or longer. Experts said the study will help policymakers understand how to allocate resources after such an event.

Galea said, "The main message here is that the primary drivers of mental health risk were social and financial circumstances. So if we're intent on minimizing psychopathology, it means mitigating those stressors quickly" (Carey, New York Times, 12/4).

An abstract of the study is available online.