Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Substance Use and Mental Health

Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Substance Use and Mental Health:

Gulf State Disaster Area residents aged 18 or older who were displaced from their homes for 2 weeks or longer had significantly higher rates of SPD [severe psychological distress], MDE [major depressive episode], and unmet need for mental health treatment or counseling in the past year compared with residents who were not displaced or who were displaced for less than 2 weeks (Figure 3). Approximately one in four residents who were displaced for 2 weeks or longer reported SPD; rates of MDE were more than 3 times higher among those who had been displaced for 2 weeks or longer compared with those who were not displaced.*

The study found similarly strong effects of displacement on substance abuse including binge alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drugs.


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* Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies. (January 31, 2008). The NSDUH Report: Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Substance Use and Mental Health. Rockville, MD.