Citation

Norris FH, VanLandingham MJ, Vu L. J. Trauma. Stress 2009; 22(2): 91-101.

Affiliation

Dartmouth Medical School and Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jts.20389

PMID

19235888

PMCID

PMC2923021

Abstract

One year after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, we assessed 82 adults from a population-based sample of the Vietnamese American community who had participated in a larger study of immigration weeks before the disaster. Although 21% met criteria for partial posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), only 5% of the sample met all PTSD criteria. Avoidance/numbing symptoms did not form a coherent cluster and were seldom confirmed, but intrusion, arousal, and interference were common. Severity of exposure to the floodwaters, property loss, and subjective trauma were independently related to PTSD symptoms. Symptoms were highest among participants who were low in acculturation or who had high Katrina exposure in combination with prolonged stays in transition camps during emigration.

Language: en