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Skrodzka M, McMahon G, Griffin SM, Muldoon OT. New social identities in Ukrainian 'refugees': A social cure or social curse? Soc Sci Med 2024; 353:117048. [PMID: 38905922 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Experiencing traumatic events often drives profound post-traumatic stress (PTS), but trauma also has the potential to engender positive consequences, such as post-traumatic growth (PTG). Traumatic experiences may also lead to gaining new identities which can have both protective (i.e., social cure) or damaging (i.e., social curse) effects on health and well-being. This study aims to examine the role of new social identities and related social identity resources acquired after war-related experiences (i.e., identification with a new host society and identification as a refugee) in contributing to different trauma trajectories. The sample included 468 participants who left Ukraine due to the war that commenced on February 24th, 2022, and became residents of Ireland or Poland. The findings indicate that identification with the host society was associated with lower PTS and greater PTG. Whereas identification with refugees was related to higher PTS, but it was not directly associated with PTG. Further, the psychological resources derived from these new identities mediated the relationship between identification strength and PTG. This study offers practical insights for interventions targeting refugees in their new countries of residence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Skrodzka
- Centre for Social Issues Research, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education & Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland.
| | - Grace McMahon
- Centre for Social Issues Research, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education & Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland.
| | - Siobhán M Griffin
- Centre for Social Issues Research, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education & Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland.
| | - Orla T Muldoon
- Centre for Social Issues Research, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education & Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland.
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Otto AK, Prinsloo S, Natori A, Wagner RW, Gomez TI, Ochoa JM, Tworoger SS, Ulrich CM, Ahmed S, McQuade JL, Peoples AR, Antoni MH, Bower JE, Cohen L, Penedo FJ. Impact of COVID-19-related experiences on health-related quality of life in cancer survivors in the United States. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297077. [PMID: 38484002 PMCID: PMC10939216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Little evidence exists on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer survivors, limiting recommendations to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in this population. We describe survivors' pandemic experiences and examine associations between COVID-19-related exposures, psychosocial experiences, and HRQoL. METHODS Between May 2020-April 2021, survivors completed cross-sectional questionnaires capturing COVID-19-related exposures (e.g., exposure to virus, job loss); psychosocial experiences (i.e., COVID-19-related anxiety/depression, disruptions to health care and daily activities/social interactions, satisfaction with providers' response to COVID, financial hardship, perceived benefits of the pandemic, social support, and perceived stress management ability); and HRQoL. RESULTS Data were collected from N = 11,325 survivors in the United States. Participants were mostly female (58%), White (89%) and non-Hispanic (88%), and age 63 on average. Breast cancer was the most common diagnosis (23%). Eight percent of participants reported being exposed to COVID-19; 1% tested positive. About 6% of participants lost their jobs, while 24% lost household income. Nearly 30% avoided attending in-person oncology appointments because of the pandemic. Poorer HRQoL was associated with demographic (younger age; female; non-Hispanic White), clinical (Medicare; stage IV disease; hematologic/digestive/respiratory system cancer), and psychosocial factors (low perceived benefits and stress management ability; more disruption to health care and daily activities/social interactions; financial hardship). CONCLUSIONS COVID-19-related stressors were associated with various psychosocial experiences in cancer survivors, and these psychosocial experiences were associated with HRQoL above and beyond demographic and clinical factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K. Otto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Sarah Prinsloo
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Akina Natori
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Richard W. Wagner
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Telma I. Gomez
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jewel M. Ochoa
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Shelley S. Tworoger
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Cornelia M. Ulrich
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, CT, United States of America
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, CT, United States of America
| | - Sairah Ahmed
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L McQuade
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Anita R. Peoples
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, CT, United States of America
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, CT, United States of America
| | - Michael H. Antoni
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Julienne E. Bower
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry/Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Lorenzo Cohen
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Frank J. Penedo
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
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3
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Saez-Clarke E, Otto AK, Prinsloo S, Natori A, Wagner RW, Gomez TI, Ochoa JM, Tworoger SS, Ulrich CM, Hathaway CA, Peoples AR, Antoni MH, Bower JE, Cohen L, Penedo FJ. Development and initial psychometric evaluation of a COVID-related psychosocial experiences questionnaire for cancer survivors. Qual Life Res 2023; 32:3475-3494. [PMID: 37358738 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-023-03456-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer survivors are at elevated risk of psychological problems related to COVID-19, yet no published measure adequately assesses their psychosocial experiences during the pandemic. PURPOSE Describe the development and factor structure of a comprehensive, self-report measure (COVID-19 Practical and Psychosocial Experiences questionnaire [COVID-PPE]) assessing the pandemic's impact on US cancer survivors. METHODS The sample (n = 10,584) was divided into three groups to assess COVID-PPE factor structure by conducting: (1) initial calibration/exploratory analysis of the factor structure of 37 items (n = 5070), (2) confirmatory factor analysis of the best-fitting model (36 items after item removal; n = 5140), and (3) post-hoc confirmatory analysis with an additional six items not collected in the first two groups (42 items; n = 374). RESULTS The final COVID-PPE was divided into two sets of subscales, conceptualized as Risk Factors and Protective Factors. The five Risk Factors subscales were labeled Anxiety Symptoms, Depression Symptoms, Health Care Disruptions, Disruptions to Daily Activities and Social Interactions, and Financial Hardship. The four Protective Factors subscales were labeled Perceived Benefits, Provider Satisfaction, Perceived Stress Management Skills, and Social Support. Internal consistency was acceptable for seven subscales (αs = 0.726-0.895; ωs = 0.802-0.895) but poor or questionable for the remaining two subscales (αs = 0.599-0.681; ωs = 0.586-0.692). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first published self-report measure comprehensively capturing psychosocial impact-both positive and negative-of the pandemic on cancer survivors. Future work should evaluate predictive utility of COVID-PPE subscales, particularly as the pandemic evolves, which may inform recommendations for cancer survivors and facilitate identification of survivors most in need of intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefany Saez-Clarke
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Amy K Otto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus, Duluth, MN, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Sarah Prinsloo
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Akina Natori
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Richard W Wagner
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Telma I Gomez
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jewel M Ochoa
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shelley S Tworoger
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Cornelia M Ulrich
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Cassandra A Hathaway
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Anita R Peoples
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Michael H Antoni
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Julienne E Bower
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry/Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lorenzo Cohen
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Frank J Penedo
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
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Kheirallah KA, Al-Zureikat SH, Al-Mistarehi AH, Alsulaiman JW, AlQudah M, Khassawneh AH, Lorettu L, Bellizzi S, Mzayek F, Elbarazi I, Serlin IA. The Association of Conflict-Related Trauma with Markers of Mental Health Among Syrian Refugee Women: The Role of Social Support and Post-Traumatic Growth. Int J Womens Health 2022; 14:1251-1266. [PMID: 36092127 PMCID: PMC9462433 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s360465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Syrian refugee women not only suffered the refuging journey but also faced the burden of being the heads of their households in a new community. We aimed to investigate the mental health status, traumatic history, social support, and post-traumatic growth (PTG) of Syrian refugee women. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured interviewer-administered survey between August and November 2019. Syrian refugee women who head their households and live outside camps were eligible. The survey included items investigating socio-demographic characteristics and conflict-related physical trauma history. The Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) scale was used to screen for emotional distress symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a score range of 0-4 and higher scores indicating emotional distress. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was utilized to assess the perceived support from family, friends, and significant others (score range 1-7), with scores of 3-5 and 5.1-7.0 representing moderate and high support, respectively. The PTG Inventory (PTGI) scale investigated the positive transformation following trauma; the score range was 0-5, and the cutoff point of ≥3 defined moderate-to-high growth levels. Results Out of 140 invited refugee women, 95 were included, with a response rate of 67.9%. Their mean (SD) age was 41.30 (11.75) years, 50.5% were widowed, and 17.9% reported their husbands as missing persons. High levels of conflict-related traumatic exposure were found, including threats of personal death (94.7%), physical injury (92.6%), or both (92.6%); and a history of family member death (92.6%), missing (71.6%), or injury (53.7%). The mean (SD) RHS-15 score was above average (2.08 (0.46)), and most women (90.5%) were at high risk for depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. The mean (SD) MSPSS score was 5.08 (0.71), representing moderate social support, with friends' support being the highest (5.23 (0.85)). The mean (SD) PTGI score was 2.44 (0.48), indicating low growth, with only 12.6% of women experiencing moderate-to-high growth levels. Spiritual change and personal strength had the highest sub-scores, with moderate-to-high growth levels experienced by 97.9% and 84.2%, respectively. Most women were more optimistic and religious, had feelings of self-reliance and better difficulties adapting, and were stronger than they thought. Statistically significant correlations of MSPSS and its subscales with RHS-15 and PTGI were detected. Conclusion Significant but unspoken mental health problems were highly prevalent among Syrian refugee women and an imminent need for psychological support to overcome traumatic exposure. The role of social support seems to be prominent and needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid A Kheirallah
- Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Sarah H Al-Zureikat
- Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | | | | | - Mohammad AlQudah
- Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Adi H Khassawneh
- Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | | | - Saverio Bellizzi
- World Health Organization (WHO), Jordan Country Office, Amman, Jordan
| | - Fawaz Mzayek
- School of Public Health, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Iffat Elbarazi
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ilene A Serlin
- International Institute for Advanced Training in Dance Movement Therapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Alper HE, Feliciano L, Millien L, Pollari C, Locke S. Post-Traumatic Growth and Quality of Life among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees 16 Years after 9/11. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:9737. [PMID: 35955093 PMCID: PMC9368472 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A recent study of World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees found that about one-third experienced post-traumatic growth (PTG) in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and that PTG was associated with social support and social integration. However, the implications of PTG for the enrollees' overall quality of life are unknown. The present study investigated the prevalence of PTG and its association with the SF-12 physical and mental functioning quality of life scales in a sample of 4760 enrollees from the Registry's Health and Quality of Life Study (HQoL) who completed the first four surveys, were older than 18 on 9/11, reported English as their primary spoken language, and provided consistent self-report of 9/11 physical injury at the Registry's baseline and HQoL surveys. We employed multivariable linear regression to evaluate the association between PTG and the SF-12 physical and mental scales, controlling for sociodemographic and other variables. We found that 31% of the sample enrollees experienced PTG and that PTG exhibited a clinically and statistically significant association with the SF-12 mental scale but not the physical scale (physical: b = 0.15 (-0.45, 0.75), mental: b = 3.61 (2.85, 4.37)). Those who were physically injured during 9/11 showed larger improvements in mental functioning than those who were not. PTG has implications for the overall mental quality of life that should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard E. Alper
- World Trade Center Health Registry, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Epidemiology, New York, NY 11101, USA
| | - Leen Feliciano
- Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Lucie Millien
- World Trade Center Health Registry, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Epidemiology, New York, NY 11101, USA
| | - Cristina Pollari
- World Trade Center Health Registry, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Epidemiology, New York, NY 11101, USA
| | - Sean Locke
- World Trade Center Health Registry, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Epidemiology, New York, NY 11101, USA
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Luo C, Santos-Malave G, Taku K, Katz C, Yanagisawa R. Post-traumatic Growth and Resilience among American Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychiatr Q 2022; 93:599-612. [PMID: 35211827 PMCID: PMC8870080 DOI: 10.1007/s11126-022-09981-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant psychological impact on medical professionals, including medical students, many who have been caring for patients on the frontlines. Understanding how medical students perceive their stressful life experiences is important as the mental health of these future physicians directly impacts their ability to care for patients. We assessed for post-traumatic growth and resilience in the face of traumatic events among a cohort of medical students that attended a medical school located in an early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between October 29, 2020 and December 1, 2020, medical students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City were surveyed on various stressful life events, including COVID-19. We identified specific resilience behaviors, including establishing a supportive social network, relying on a moral compass, and using cognitive flexibility, that medical students commonly used to cope with traumatic experiences. Compared with students who perceived COVID-19 as their most stressful life event, students who perceived other events, such as family issues or serious illness, as most stressful experienced less COVID-related stress (t = -2.2, p = .03), greater posttraumatic growth (t = 4.3, p < .001), and demonstrated more resilient behaviors including establishing and nurturing a supportive social network (t = 2.2, p = .03), developing brain fitness (t = 2.2, p = .03), and finding meaning and purpose in things (t = 2.9, p = .006). This suggests that stressful experiences prior to or in parallel with COVID-19 encouraged posttraumatic growth and development of resilience behaviors that were protective to COVID-19-related stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Luo
- Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Gabriel Santos-Malave
- Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Kanako Taku
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 318 Meadow Brook Rd, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Craig Katz
- Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Robert Yanagisawa
- Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
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Exposure to the World Trade Center disaster and test performance among New York City public school students over time, 1998–2003. SSM - MENTAL HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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8
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Mueller AK, Singh A, Webber MP, Hall CB, Prezant DJ, Zeig‐Owens R. PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and subjective cognitive concerns in WTC-exposed and non-WTC-exposed firefighters. Am J Ind Med 2021; 64:803-814. [PMID: 34415073 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Firefighting has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions. We previously found that among Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) responders to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, higher-intensity WTC-exposure predicted PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and subjective cognitive concerns. The present study aims to compare these symptoms in the FDNY WTC-exposed cohort versus a comparison cohort of non-FDNY, non-WTC-exposed firefighters. METHODS The study population included WTC-exposed male firefighters from FDNY (N = 8466) and non-WTC-exposed male firefighters from Chicago (N = 1195), Philadelphia (N = 770), and San Francisco (N = 650) fire departments who were employed on 9/11/2001 and completed a health questionnaire between 3/1/2018 and 12/31/2020. Current PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and subjective cognitive concerns were assessed via validated screening instruments. Multivariable linear regression analyses stratified by fire department estimated the impact of covariates on each outcome. RESULTS Adjusted mean PTSD symptom scores ranged from 23.5 ± 0.6 in Chicago firefighters to 25.8 ± 0.2 in FDNY, and adjusted mean depressive symptom scores ranged from 7.3 ± 0.5 in Chicago to 9.4 ± 0.6 in Philadelphia. WTC-exposure was associated with fewer subjective cognitive concerns (β = -0.69 ± 0.05, p < .001) after controlling for covariates. Across cohorts, older age was associated with more cognitive concerns, but fewer PTSD and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS WTC-exposed firefighters had fewer cognitive concerns compared with non-WTC-exposed firefighters. We were unable to estimate associations between WTC exposure and PTSD symptoms or depressive symptoms due to variability between non-WTC-exposed cohorts. Longitudinal follow-up is needed to assess PTSD, depressive, and cognitive symptom trajectories in firefighter populations as they age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra K. Mueller
- Fire Department of the City of New York Bureau of Health Services Brooklyn New York USA
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology Division Montefiore Medical Center Bronx New York USA
| | - Ankura Singh
- Fire Department of the City of New York Bureau of Health Services Brooklyn New York USA
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology Division Montefiore Medical Center Bronx New York USA
| | - Mayris P. Webber
- Fire Department of the City of New York Bureau of Health Services Brooklyn New York USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx New York USA
| | - Charles B. Hall
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx New York USA
| | - David J. Prezant
- Fire Department of the City of New York Bureau of Health Services Brooklyn New York USA
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology Division Montefiore Medical Center Bronx New York USA
| | - Rachel Zeig‐Owens
- Fire Department of the City of New York Bureau of Health Services Brooklyn New York USA
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology Division Montefiore Medical Center Bronx New York USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx New York USA
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9
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Hyun S, Wong GTF, Levy-Carrick NC, Charmaraman L, Cozier Y, Yip T, Hahm H“C, Liu CH. Psychosocial correlates of posttraumatic growth among U.S. young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res 2021; 302:114035. [PMID: 34139592 PMCID: PMC9754682 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Given the prolonged nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between posttraumatic growth (PTG) among young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and their psychosocial characteristics, specifically: distress tolerance; resilience; family connectedness; depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms; and COVID-19-related worry. The study utilized data from 805 U.S. young adults (18-30 years) who completed online surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic across two waves (April-August 2020 and September 2020-March 2021). Overall, young adults reported low PTG scores. PTSD symptoms and COVID-19-related worry significantly predicted higher levels of PTG, while their depression symptoms predicted lower levels of PTG. Resilience and family connectedness significantly predicted higher levels of PTG, and distress tolerance significantly predicted lower levels of PTG after accounting for sociodemographic characteristics and negative influential factors. Compared to Whites, Asians were less likely to report PTG. In general, young adults have not perceived personal growth from the pandemic; however, young adults with certain psychosocial factors appear to be predisposed to such PTG. This study highlights the importance of exploring and elucidating the potential positive trajectories following the adversity of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunah Hyun
- Department of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ga Tin Finneas Wong
- Department of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Yvette Cozier
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tiffany Yip
- Psychology Department, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Cindy H. Liu
- Department of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Corresponding author at: Departments of Pediatric Newborn Medicine & Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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10
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Cone JE, Santiago-Colón A, Lucchini R. 9/11 Health Update. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18126383. [PMID: 34204753 PMCID: PMC8296210 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James E. Cone
- World Trade Center Health Registry, Division of Epidemiology, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY 10013, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Albeliz Santiago-Colón
- World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA;
| | - Roberto Lucchini
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA;
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