Long-term Psychosocial Impact on Police Officers: Post-Hurricance Katrina

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案旨在研究卡特里娜飓风后对洛杉矶圣伯纳德教区警察的长期影响，该地区是受灾最严重的地区之一。我们将研究警察在心理症状学方面的关联，包括创伤后应激障碍、感知压力和抑郁症。分析还将包括对压力和创伤的潜在保护因素，包括组织和社会支持、复原力和创伤后成长。根据初步评估的结果，我们计划在未来的工作中，制定最适合协助受影响人员处理问题的干预策略。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The present proposal seeks to examine the long term post- hurricane Katrina impact on police officers who policed the disaster in St. Bernard Parish, LA, one of the most devastated areas. We will examine associations in police officers concerning psychological symptomatology, to include posttraumatic stress disorder, perceived stress, and depression. Analyses will also include potential protective factors against stress and trauma, to include organization and social support, resiliency, and posttraumatic growth. Based on results from this initial assessment, we plan to develop, in future work, intervention strategies which are best suited for helping affected officers deal with their problems. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Exposure to natural disasters may lead to long term sequalae of posttraumatic stress and other psychological anomalies. The police, charged with first response maintenance of order, rescue and recovery, and their own personal losses, are at increased risk for such long term effects. This study proposes a post hurricane Katrina assessment of long term psychological and social impact on the St. Bernard Parish Sherriff's Department; as well as protective factors which may ameliorate such an impact.