• Ethan J Raker, Meghan Zacher, and Sarah R Lowe.
• Department of Sociology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; eraker@g.harvard.edu meghan_zacher@brown.edu.
• Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2020 Jun 9; 117 (23): 12595-12597.

AbstractBeyond their immediate effects on mortality, disasters have widespread, indirect impacts on mental and physical well-being by exposing survivors to stress and potential trauma. Identifying the disaster-related stressors that predict health adversity will help officials prepare for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Using data from a prospective study of young, low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina, we find that bereavement, fearing for loved ones' well-being, and lacking access to medical care and medications predict adverse mental and physical health 1 y postdisaster, and some effects persist 12 y later. Adjusting for preexisting health and socioeconomic conditions attenuates, but does not eliminate, these associations. The findings, while drawn from a demographically unique sample, suggest that, to mitigate the indirect effects of COVID-19, lapses in medical care and medication use must be minimized, and public health resources should be directed to those with preexisting medical conditions, their social networks, and the bereaved.Copyright © 2020 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

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