Longitudinal Assessment of Cognitive and Psychosocial Functioning After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Exploring Disaster Impact on Middle-Aged, Older, and Oldest-Old Adults

Authors

Katie E. Cherry, Louisiana State University.
Jennifer Silva Brown
Loren D. Marks
Sandro Galea
Julia Volaufova
Christina Lefante
L Joseph Su
David A. Welsh

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2011

Abstract

The authors examined the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (HKR) on cognitive and psychosocial functioning in a lifespan sample of adults 6 to 14 months after the storms. Participants were recruited from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). Most were assessed during the immediate impact period and retested for this study. Analyses of pre-and post-disaster cognitive data confirmed that storm-related decrements in working memory for middle-aged and older adults observed in the immediate impact period had returned to pre-hurricane levels in the post-disaster recovery period. Middle-aged adults reported more storm-related stressors and greater levels of stress than the two older groups at both waves of testing. These results are consistent with a burden perspective on post-disaster psychological reactions.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Journal of applied biobehavioral research

First Page

187

Last Page

211

Recommended Citation

Cherry, K. E., Brown, J. S., Marks, L. D., Galea, S., Volaufova, J., Lefante, C., Su, L. J., & Welsh, D. A. (2011). Longitudinal Assessment of Cognitive and Psychosocial Functioning After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Exploring Disaster Impact on Middle-Aged, Older, and Oldest-Old Adults. Journal of applied biobehavioral research, 16 (3-4), 187-211. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9861.2011.00073.x