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Physical and Mental Health Symptom Profiles Among Older Adults Following Hurricane Helene in Southern Appalachia
Jennifer M First1, J Brian Houston2
1Social Work, https://ror.org/02ymw8z06University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
Objective:
This brief report examines physical and mental health symptom profiles among older adults approximately 5 months after Hurricane Helene-related flooding in Southern Appalachia.
Methods:
Survey data were collected from 233 older adults and assessed physical health symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive symptoms, flood event exposure, environmental contaminant exposure, and post-flood stressors. Cluster analysis was conducted to identify post-disaster physical and mental health symptom profiles, and analysis of variance and chi-square tests were conducted to examine differences in disaster exposure, post-flood stressors, and sociodemographic characteristics across profiles.
Results:
Three distinct post-disaster health symptom profiles were identified: a lower symptom profile, an elevated mental health symptom profile, and a combined elevated physical and mental health symptom profile. Disaster exposure, contaminant exposure, and post-flood stressors increased in a graded manner across profiles, indicating a dose-response framework of disaster-related health impacts. Higher symptom burden profiles were disproportionately represented among older adults with disabilities/chronic illness and among older age groups.
Conclusions:
Findings highlight heterogeneity in post-disaster health experiences among older adults and underscore the value of identifying high-risk subgroups and implementing recovery strategies that address co-occurring physical and mental health needs among older adults following flood events.
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