Effects of Hurricane Sandy on the Respiratory and Mental Health of WTC Responders

桑迪飓风对世贸中心救援人员呼吸和心理健康的影响

• 批准号: 8624796
• 负责人: Adam Gonzalez
• 金额: $ 21.26万
• 依托单位: STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-05-15 至 2015-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8624796
• 关键词: Affect; Area; Blood specimen; Clinical; Communities; Complex; Data; Databases; Disasters; Dust; Electricity; Environmental Exposure; Exposure to; Floods; Health; Home environment; Hurricane; Hypersensitivity; Interview; Investigation; Laboratories; Learning; Left; Life; Long Island; Lung diseases; Mediating; Mental Health; Molds; Monitor; New York; Patient Self-Report; Population; Populations at Risk; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders; Preventive Intervention; Pulmonary function tests; Respiratory physiology; Risk; Risk Factors; Sampling; Serum; Skin; Spirometry; Structure; Survivors; Symptoms; Testing; Toxic Environmental Substances; Toxicant exposure; Vulnerable Populations; Woman; World Trade Center disaster; cohort; depressive symptoms; design; experience; insight; longitudinal database; men; metropolitan; physical conditioning; programs; psychologic; psychological trauma; public health relevance; respiratory; response; screening

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hurricane Sandy resulted in the devastation of many communities in New York. In particular, Long Island experienced major flooding and powerful winds that left many without electricity for weeks, destroyed homes, and left behind mold and other environmental toxins. One of the most vulnerable groups living in these highly affected areas is responders to the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 (9/11), many of whom continue to be active responders and, have persistent respiratory and psychological problems, or both, as a result of their response to 9/11. The Stony Brook WTC Health Program provides yearly health monitoring and treatment for WTC-related conditions for 7,000 WTC responders. Each year we systematically assess physical and mental health conditions, which we have been tracking in our cohort for the past eight years. Immediately after Hurricane Sandy, we began screening for Hurricane Sandy-related exposures. WTC responders exposed to this disaster may be particularly at-risk for new or exacerbation of health problems. The overall objective of the proposed study is to evaluate levels of exposure to environmental toxins and psychological trauma as a result of Hurricane Sandy and their effects on respiratory and mental health in a sample of 550 WTC responders from highly affected areas. The specific aims are to: (1) evaluate the impact of the disaster on WTC responders by examining changes from pre to post hurricane Sandy, in respiratory symptoms, lung functioning, and PTSD and depression symptoms; (2) document exposure to environmental toxins (i.e., mold and dust) and psychological trauma, and evaluate the impact of these exposures on respiratory symptoms, lung functioning, and mental health; (3) determine whether post-Hurricane Sandy PTSD symptoms are a risk factor for post disaster respiratory symptoms and lung functioning, and if PTSD mediates the impact of toxic exposures on respiratory health. We will use multimodal assessments including self-report, structured clinical interviews, and skin and serum allergy testing. By utilizing pre-Hurricane Sandy health data, we will be able to identify risk factors for post- disaster physical and mental health problems. This study will also provide translational value by furthering our understanding how respiratory disease and PTSD interact with one another. Thus, the current investigation offers a unique scientific opportunity to learn about the sequelae of Hurricane Sandy in an at-risk population and possible avenues for intervention and prevention.

描述（申请人提供）：飓风桑迪导致纽约许多社区遭到破坏。特别是，长岛经历了严重的洪水和强风，使许多人数周没有电力供应，摧毁了房屋，并留下了霉菌和其他环境毒素。生活在这些高度受影响地区的最脆弱群体之一是对2001年9月11日（9/11）世界贸易中心（WTC）袭击的反应者，其中许多人仍然是积极的反应者，并且由于他们对9/11的反应，他们有持续的呼吸和心理问题，或两者兼而有之。斯托尼布鲁克世界贸易中心健康计划为7，000名世界贸易中心响应者提供年度健康监测和世界贸易中心相关疾病的治疗。每年我们都会系统地评估身体和心理健康状况，过去八年我们一直在跟踪我们的队列。飓风桑迪过后，我们立即开始筛查与飓风桑迪相关的风险。暴露于这场灾难的世贸中心应急人员可能特别有可能出现新的或恶化的健康问题。 拟议研究的总体目标是评估飓风桑迪造成的环境毒素和心理创伤的暴露水平及其对高度受影响地区550名WTC响应者的呼吸和心理健康的影响。具体目标是：（1）通过检查飓风桑迪前后呼吸道症状、肺功能、创伤后应激障碍和抑郁症状的变化，评估灾难对WTC响应者的影响;（2）记录暴露于环境毒素的情况（即，（3）确定飓风桑迪后PTSD症状是否是灾后呼吸系统症状和肺功能的危险因素，以及PTSD是否介导了有毒物质暴露对呼吸系统健康的影响。 我们将使用多模式评估，包括自我报告，结构化临床访谈以及皮肤和血清过敏试验。通过利用飓风桑迪前的健康数据，我们将能够确定 灾后身心健康问题。这项研究还将通过进一步了解呼吸系统疾病和创伤后应激障碍如何相互作用来提供翻译价值。因此，目前的调查提供了一个独特的科学机会，以了解飓风桑迪在风险人群中的后遗症以及可能的干预和预防途径。