The following is a summary of “Neighborhood-level economic characteristics and depression and PTSD symptoms among Houstonians who have experienced Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19,” published in the March 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Cohen et al. 

Depression and PTSD account for the most common mental health conditions after a disaster, and having multiple disasters could bring traumatic events. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate whether socioeconomic factors are associated with the mental health consequences of mass traumatic events. 

They surveyed 872 Houston residents after Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19. Utilized American Community Survey data for neighborhood-level unemployment, median income, and income inequality. They also employed multilevel linear models to examine associations between neighborhood factors and individual depression and PTSD symptoms.

The results revealed that lower neighborhood median income correlated with higher PTSD symptom scores, while greater income inequality was associated with elevated depression and PTSD symptoms. However, adjusted models indicated that event-specific stressors and traumas primarily explained these links.

Investigators concluded that neighborhood socioeconomic factors may shape individual exposure to stress and trauma, although event-specific stressors and traumas largely mediated the observed associations.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178124000519