The Impact of Child-Related Stressors on the Psychological Functioning of Lower-Income Mothers After Hurricane Katrina

Overview

Journal J Fam Issues

Publisher Sage Publications

Date 2012 Mar 3

PMID 22383861

Citations 9

Authors

Sarah R Lowe

Christian S Chan

Jean E Rhodes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In the present study, the authors examined the role of child-related stressors in the psychological adjustment of lower-income, primarily unmarried and African American, mothers (N = 386). All participants lived in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, and about a third were also exposed to Hurricane Rita (30.3%, n = 117). Lacking knowledge of a child's safety during the hurricanes was a significant predictor of heightened postdisaster psychological distress and posttraumatic stress, even after controlling for demographic variables, predisaster psychological distress, evacuation timing, and bereavement. From interviews with a subset of the participants (n = 57), we found that mothers consistently put their own needs behind those of their children. The authors recommend policies that promptly reunite mothers with missing children and support lower-income mothers in caring for their children during natural disasters and the aftermath.

Citing Articles

Psychosocial resources underlying disaster survivors' posttraumatic stress symptom trajectories: insight from in-depth interviews with mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina.

Tekin S, Burrows K, Billings J, Waters M, R Lowe S Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2023; 14(2):2211355.

PMID: 37334999 PMC: 10281293. DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2211355.

Mitigating Health Disparities After Natural Disasters: Lessons From The RISK Project.

Raker E, Arcaya M, R Lowe S, Zacher M, Rhodes J, Waters M Health Aff (Millwood). 2020; 39(12):2128-2135.

PMID: 33284697 PMC: 8533028. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01161.

Life after Hurricane Katrina: The Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) Project.

Waters M Sociol Forum (Randolph N J). 2020; 31(Suppl 1):750-769.

PMID: 32999529 PMC: 7523803. DOI: 10.1111/socf.12271.

Hurricane Katrina: Maternal Depression Trajectories and Child Outcomes.

Lai B, Tiwari A, Beaulieu B, Self-Brown S, Kelley M Curr Psychol. 2016; 34(3):515-523.

PMID: 26752938 PMC: 4704451. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-015-9338-6.

Birth Outcomes in a Disaster Recovery Environment: New Orleans Women After Katrina.

Harville E, Giarratano G, Savage J, de Mendoza V, Zotkiewicz T Matern Child Health J. 2015; 19(11):2512-22.

PMID: 26122255 PMC: 4596760. DOI: 10.1007/s10995-015-1772-4.

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