The Psychological Impact Of Hurricanes And Storms On Adults

Almost immediately after making landfall, the psychological and physical impacts of Hurricane Katrina were evident. Thousands of people in the Gulf Coast endured countless stressors, hassles, financial crises, psychopathological symptoms, and fear, in addition to flooding, broken levees, lost homes, evacuations, and curfews. In this chapter, we review the literature specifically relevant to the impact that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on adults in the southern Louisiana area. In the first section, a ground work is laid for how hurricanes and natural disasters impact adults, including descriptions of relevant psychopathology, risk factors for developing psychopathology, and protective factors that lead to resiliency from psychopathology. In the next section, a review of findings from previous storms and hurricanes is given, followed by a review of the literature specific to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Implications for addressing the mental health needs of persons who reside in storm-prone areas are discussed. Future directions for private practitioners and researchers are considered.