Study: Hurricanes linked with mental ills

The scientists say they discovered some South Floridians who survived 1992's Hurricane Andrew suffered mental health problems many years later. That has led to a prediction of even more dire consequences for those who lived through last year's Hurricane Katrina that ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The researchers in Tallahassee -- sociology doctoral student and lead author David Russell and professors John Taylor and Donald Lloyd -- say although the short-term mental health consequences of Hurricane Andrew have been documented, their study of adolescents is the first to show the storm inflicted long-term effects on mental health.

"We found that people who ... had pre-existing symptoms of psychological distress were more adversely affected by exposure to hurricane-related stressful events," Russell said.

"Based on our findings, we believe intervention efforts should include assessments of the prior experiences and psychological well-being of disaster victims. Doing so will aid response workers in identifying those most at risk for developing post-disaster psychological problems."

The study was presented recently in New Orleans during the annual meeting of the Southern Sociological Society.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International