World Trade Center disaster and sensitization to subsequent life stress: A longitudinal study of disaster responders

Michael J. Zvolensky; Samantha G. Farris; Roman Kotov; Clyde B. Schechter; Evelyn Bromet; Adam Gonzalez; Anka Vujanovic; Robert H. Pietrzak; Michael Crane; Julia Kaplan; Jacqueline Moline; Steven M. Southwick; Adriana Feder; Iris Udasin; Dori B. Reissman; Benjamin J. Luft

doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.03.017

World Trade Center disaster and sensitization to subsequent life stress: A longitudinal study of disaster responders

Michael J. Zvolensky
, Samantha G. Farris
, Roman Kotov
, Clyde B. Schechter
, Evelyn Bromet
, Adam Gonzalez
, Anka Vujanovic
, Robert H. Pietrzak
, Michael Crane
, Julia Kaplan
, Jacqueline Moline
, Steven M. Southwick
, Adriana Feder
, Iris Udasin
, Dori B. Reissman
, Benjamin J. Luft

University of Houston
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Stony Brook University
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Department of Veterans Affairs
Yale University
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Northwell Health System
Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: The current study examined the role of World Trade Center (WTC) disaster exposure (hours spent working on the site, dust cloud exposure, and losing friend/loved one) in exacerbating the effects of post-disaster life stress on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and overall functioning among WTC responders. Method: Participants were 18,896 responders (8466 police officers and 10,430 non-traditional responders) participating in the WTC Health Program who completed an initial examination between July, 2002 and April, 2010 and were reassessed an average of two years later. Results:Among police responders, there was a significant interaction, such that the effect of post-disaster life stress on later PTSD symptoms and overall functioning was stronger among police responders who had greater WTC disaster exposure (β'. s= .029 and .054, respectively, for PTSD symptoms and overall functioning). This moderating effect was absent in non-traditional responders. Across both groups, post-disaster life stress also consistently was related to the dependent variables in a more robust manner than WTC exposure. Discussion: The present findings suggest that WTC exposure may compound post-disaster life stress, thereby resulting in a more chronic course of PTSD symptoms and reduced functioning among police responders.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	70-74
Number of pages	5
Journal	Preventive Medicine
Volume	75
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.03.017
State	Published - Jun 1 2015

Keywords

Disaster
Functioning
Posttraumatic stress
Responder
Stress exposure
Trauma

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10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.03.017

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Zvolensky, M. J., Farris, S. G., Kotov, R., Schechter, C. B., Bromet, E., Gonzalez, A., Vujanovic, A., Pietrzak, R. H., Crane, M., Kaplan, J., Moline, J., Southwick, S. M., Feder, A., Udasin, I., Reissman, D. B., & Luft, B. J. (2015). World Trade Center disaster and sensitization to subsequent life stress: A longitudinal study of disaster responders. Preventive Medicine, 75, 70-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.03.017

@article{e229e622756f462bb44b07e12975dc4c,

title = "World Trade Center disaster and sensitization to subsequent life stress: A longitudinal study of disaster responders",

abstract = "Purpose: The current study examined the role of World Trade Center (WTC) disaster exposure (hours spent working on the site, dust cloud exposure, and losing friend/loved one) in exacerbating the effects of post-disaster life stress on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and overall functioning among WTC responders. Method: Participants were 18,896 responders (8466 police officers and 10,430 non-traditional responders) participating in the WTC Health Program who completed an initial examination between July, 2002 and April, 2010 and were reassessed an average of two years later. Results:Among police responders, there was a significant interaction, such that the effect of post-disaster life stress on later PTSD symptoms and overall functioning was stronger among police responders who had greater WTC disaster exposure (β'. s= .029 and .054, respectively, for PTSD symptoms and overall functioning). This moderating effect was absent in non-traditional responders. Across both groups, post-disaster life stress also consistently was related to the dependent variables in a more robust manner than WTC exposure. Discussion: The present findings suggest that WTC exposure may compound post-disaster life stress, thereby resulting in a more chronic course of PTSD symptoms and reduced functioning among police responders.",

keywords = "Disaster, Functioning, Posttraumatic stress, Responder, Stress exposure, Trauma",

author = "Zvolensky, \{Michael J.\} and Farris, \{Samantha G.\} and Roman Kotov and Schechter, \{Clyde B.\} and Evelyn Bromet and Adam Gonzalez and Anka Vujanovic and Pietrzak, \{Robert H.\} and Michael Crane and Julia Kaplan and Jacqueline Moline and Southwick, \{Steven M.\} and Adriana Feder and Iris Udasin and Reissman, \{Dori B.\} and Luft, \{Benjamin J.\}",

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year = "2015",

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doi = "10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.03.017",

language = "English",

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Zvolensky, MJ, Farris, SG, Kotov, R, Schechter, CB, Bromet, E, Gonzalez, A, Vujanovic, A, Pietrzak, RH, Crane, M, Kaplan, J, Moline, J, Southwick, SM, Feder, A, Udasin, I, Reissman, DB & Luft, BJ 2015, 'World Trade Center disaster and sensitization to subsequent life stress: A longitudinal study of disaster responders', Preventive Medicine, vol. 75, pp. 70-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.03.017

TY - JOUR

T1 - World Trade Center disaster and sensitization to subsequent life stress

T2 - A longitudinal study of disaster responders

AU - Zvolensky, Michael J.

AU - Farris, Samantha G.

AU - Kotov, Roman

AU - Schechter, Clyde B.

AU - Bromet, Evelyn

AU - Gonzalez, Adam

AU - Vujanovic, Anka

AU - Pietrzak, Robert H.

AU - Crane, Michael

AU - Kaplan, Julia

AU - Moline, Jacqueline

AU - Southwick, Steven M.

AU - Feder, Adriana

AU - Udasin, Iris

AU - Reissman, Dori B.

AU - Luft, Benjamin J.

PY - 2015/6/1

Y1 - 2015/6/1

N2 - Purpose: The current study examined the role of World Trade Center (WTC) disaster exposure (hours spent working on the site, dust cloud exposure, and losing friend/loved one) in exacerbating the effects of post-disaster life stress on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and overall functioning among WTC responders. Method: Participants were 18,896 responders (8466 police officers and 10,430 non-traditional responders) participating in the WTC Health Program who completed an initial examination between July, 2002 and April, 2010 and were reassessed an average of two years later. Results:Among police responders, there was a significant interaction, such that the effect of post-disaster life stress on later PTSD symptoms and overall functioning was stronger among police responders who had greater WTC disaster exposure (β'. s= .029 and .054, respectively, for PTSD symptoms and overall functioning). This moderating effect was absent in non-traditional responders. Across both groups, post-disaster life stress also consistently was related to the dependent variables in a more robust manner than WTC exposure. Discussion: The present findings suggest that WTC exposure may compound post-disaster life stress, thereby resulting in a more chronic course of PTSD symptoms and reduced functioning among police responders.

AB - Purpose: The current study examined the role of World Trade Center (WTC) disaster exposure (hours spent working on the site, dust cloud exposure, and losing friend/loved one) in exacerbating the effects of post-disaster life stress on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and overall functioning among WTC responders. Method: Participants were 18,896 responders (8466 police officers and 10,430 non-traditional responders) participating in the WTC Health Program who completed an initial examination between July, 2002 and April, 2010 and were reassessed an average of two years later. Results:Among police responders, there was a significant interaction, such that the effect of post-disaster life stress on later PTSD symptoms and overall functioning was stronger among police responders who had greater WTC disaster exposure (β'. s= .029 and .054, respectively, for PTSD symptoms and overall functioning). This moderating effect was absent in non-traditional responders. Across both groups, post-disaster life stress also consistently was related to the dependent variables in a more robust manner than WTC exposure. Discussion: The present findings suggest that WTC exposure may compound post-disaster life stress, thereby resulting in a more chronic course of PTSD symptoms and reduced functioning among police responders.

KW - Disaster

KW - Functioning

KW - Posttraumatic stress

KW - Responder

KW - Stress exposure

KW - Trauma

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84927603602

U2 - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.03.017

DO - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.03.017

M3 - Article

C2 - 25840022

AN - SCOPUS:84927603602

SN - 0091-7435

VL - 75

SP - 70

EP - 74

JO - Preventive Medicine

JF - Preventive Medicine

ER -

World Trade Center disaster and sensitization to subsequent life stress: A longitudinal study of disaster responders

Abstract

Keywords

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