Citation

Hirst A, Miller-Archie SA, Welch AE, Li J, Brackbill RM. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018; 187: 55-60.

Affiliation

World Trade Center Health Registry, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth St. CN-6W, New York, NY 10013, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.01.028

PMID

29627406

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe patterns of drug- and alcohol-related hospitalizations among persons exposed to the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks and to assess whether 9/11-related exposures or post-9/11 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were associated with increased odds of hospitalization.

METHODS: Data for adult enrollees in the WTC Health Registry, a prospective cohort study, were linked to New York State (NYS) administrative hospitalization data to identify alcohol- and drug-related hospitalizations from enrollment to December 31, 2010. Logistic regression was used to analyze the associations between substance use-related hospitalization, 9/11-related exposure and PTSD.

RESULTS: Of 41,176 NYS resident enrollees, we identified 626 (1.5%) who had at least one alcohol- or drug-related hospitalization; 53.4% (n = 591) of these hospitalizations were for alcohol only diagnoses and 46.6% (n = 515) were drug-related. Witnessing ≥3 traumatic events on 9/11 was significantly associated with having a drug-related hospitalization (AOR 1.4, 95% CI = [1.1, 1.9]). PTSD was significantly associated with both having a drug-related hospitalization as well as an alcohol only-related hospitalization. (AOR 2.6, 95% CI = [2.0, 3.3], AOR 1.8, 95% CI = [1.4, 2.3], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Witnessing traumatic events and having PTSD were independently associated with substance use-related hospitalizations. Targeting people who witnessed traumatic events on 9/11 and/or who have PTSD for substance use- treatment could reduce alcohol and drug-related hospitalizations connected to 9/11.

Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol hospitalization; Drug hospitalization; Longitudinal study; Post-traumatic stress disorder; World Trade Center