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ABSTRACT: The authors examined the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (HKR) on cognitive and psychosocial functioning in a lifespan sample of adults 6 to 14 months after the storms. Participants were recruited from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). Most were assessed during the immediate impact period and retested for this study. Analyses of pre-and post-disaster cognitive data confirmed that storm-related decrements in working memory for middle-aged and older adults observed in the immediate impact period had returned to pre-hurricane levels in the post-disaster recovery period. Middle-aged adults reported more storm-related stressors and greater levels of stress than the two older groups at both waves of testing. These results are consistent with a burden perspective on post-disaster psychological reactions.
Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research 12/2011; 16(3-4):187-211.
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ABSTRACT: In this article, we consider the intersection of religious coping and the experience of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in a lifespan sample of adults living in South Louisiana during the 2005 storms. Participants were young, middle-age, older, and oldest-old adults who were interviewed during the post-disaster recovery period. Qualitative analyses confirmed that three dimensions of religion were represented across participants' responses. These dimensions included: 1) faith community, in relation to the significant relief effort and involvement of area churches; 2) religious practices, in the sense of participants' behavioral responses to the storms, such as prayer; and c) spiritual beliefs, referring to faith as a mechanism underlying individual and family-level adjustment, acceptance and personal growth in the post-disaster period. Implications for future disaster preparedness are considered.
Journal of Religion Spirituality & Aging 01/2011; 23(3):236-253.
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ABSTRACT: We examined health-related quality of life in adults in the Louisiana Health Aging Study (LHAS) after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (HK/R) that made landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast region in 2005. Analyses of pre- and post-disaster SF-36 scores yielded changes in physical function and bodily pain. Mental health scores were lower for women than men. Gender differences were observed in religious beliefs and religious coping, favoring women. Religious beliefs and religious coping were negatively correlated with physical function, implying that stronger reliance on religiosity as a coping mechanism may be more likely among those who are less physically capable.
Health Care For Women International 11/2010; 31(11):997-1012. · 0.63 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: When disasters strike, many people rise to the challenge of providing immediate assistance to those whose lives are in peril.
The spectrum of helping behaviors to counter the devastating effects of a natural disaster is vast and can be seen on many
levels, from concerned individuals and community groups to volunteer organizations and larger civic entities. In this chapter,
we examine the psychology of helping in relation to natural disasters. Definitions of helping behaviors, why we help, and
risks of helping others are discussed first. Next, we discuss issues specific to natural disasters and life span considerations,
noting the developmental progression of age-related, altruistic motivations. We present a qualitative analysis of helping
behaviors based on interviews with participants in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS; see Cherry, Silva, & Galea, Chapter 9). These data show that some people directly engaged in helping behaviors to
further the relief effort after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, while others spoke of helping indirectly through their associations
with local churches and faith-based organizations that provided storm relief. Implications for helping behaviors and intentions
to help in a post-disaster situation are considered.
12/2008: pages 219-240;
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ABSTRACT: Very few studies in the disaster literature include elderly adults, whose life experiences, perceptions, and spiritual needs
in the post-disaster period may markedly differ in comparison to younger cohorts. In this 3, we address the topic of how young,
middle age, older, and oldest-old adults coped with and made meaning of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita during the storms and
their aftermath. The individuals who provided the qualitative interviews upon which this chapter is based were enrolled in
the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS), a multidisciplinary study of the determinants of longevity and healthy aging (see Cherry, Silva, & Galea, Chapter 9 of this volume). We begin this chapter by presenting three central themes to contextualize our findings. These themes include
(1) crisis, in the sense of a significant, developmental turning point (cf. Erikson E.H., 1998); (2) coping, a behavioral response to stressful events; and (3) meaning making, which pertains to an individual’s unique interpretation of an event and attributions for why it happened. We describe the
sample, interview procedures, coding process, and emergent themes arising from the qualitative interviews. Implications for
adjustment, acceptance, and personal growth in the post-disaster period are considered.
12/2008: pages 195-215;
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ABSTRACT: The current study investigated the connection between religion and mental health of 131 rural, low-income mothers. Two dimensions of religion, beliefs and faith community involvement, were included and depression was assessed by the CES-D. The sample consisted of mothers who participated in Wave 2 of a multi-state research project. As hypothesized, both religious beliefs and faith community involvement were negatively related to depressive symptoms indicating that mothers with stronger religious beliefs and more involvement in religious activities may experience less depressive symptoms. The results of the current study confirm previous work and support a multifaceted view of religion.
Women & Health 02/2004; 40(3):51-62. · 1.00 Impact Factor
