Citation

Wertis L, Runkle JD, Sugg MM, Singh D. Geohealth 2023; 7(2): e2022GH000707.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American Geophysical Union, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1029/2022GH000707

PMID

36776989

PMCID

PMC9905064

Abstract

Limited research has evaluated the mental health effects during compounding disasters (e.g., a hurricane occurring during a pandemic), and few studies have examined post-disaster mental health with alternative data sources like crisis text lines. This study examined changes in crisis help-seeking for individuals in Louisiana, USA, before and after Hurricane Ida (2021), a storm that co-occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. An interrupted time series analysis and difference-in-difference analysis for single and multiple group comparisons were used to examine pre-and post-changes in crisis text volume (i.e., any crisis text, substance use, thoughts of suicide, stress/anxiety, and bereavement) among help-seeking individuals in communities that received US Federal Emergency Management Agency individual and public assistance following a presidential disaster declaration.

RESULTS showed a significant increase in crisis texts for any reason, thoughts of suicide, stress/anxiety, and bereavement in the four-week, three-month, and four-month post-impact period.

FINDINGS highlight the need for more mental health support for residents directly impacted by disasters like Hurricane Ida.

Language: en

Keywords

ARIMA; bereavement; Climate disaster; Crisis Text Line; difference‐in‐difference; interrupted time series analysis; mental health; stress/anxiety; substance use; thoughts of suicide