OBJECTIVES: We identified trends in the prevalence of elevated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk as determined by the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)-modified PTSD Checklist in World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed firefighters. We also examined trends in relation to WTC exposure, social support, change in recreational activities, and functional health. METHODS: We analyzed 16,826 questionnaires from 10,074 firefighters in yearly intervals, from September 12, 2001, to September 11, 2005. RESULTS: The prevalence of elevated PTSD risk increased over time, from 9.8% in year 1 to 10.6% in year 4 (p < 0.0001). Earliest arrival at the WTC site (odds ratio [OR] = 6.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.4, 8.3), prolonged work at the site (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.8, 2.3), providing supervision without previous supervisory experience (OR = 4.1; 95% CI 2.8, 6.1), and retirement due to a WTC-related disability (OR=1.3; 95% CI 1.1, 1.5) were associated with ever having elevated PTSD risk. Difficulty functioning at home was strongly associated with elevated PTSD risk (ORs ranged from 17.0 [95% CI 14.5, 20.0] in year 1 to 26.7 [95% CI 20.3, 35.2] in year 3), as was difficulty functioning at work (ORs ranged from 12.1 [95% CI 10.2, 14.2] in year 1 to 23.0 [95% CI 14.6, 36.3] in year 2). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated PTSD risk was associated with exposure to the WTC site as well as functional impairment, and remained largely unabated during the first four years of the study. Screening for elevated PTSD risk may be useful in identifying those who could benefit from interventions during long-term follow-up, as well as in the immediate aftermath of disasters.
OBJECTIVES: We identified trends in the prevalence of elevated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk as determined by the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)-modified PTSD Checklist in World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed firefighters. We also examined trends in relation to WTC exposure, social support, change in recreational activities, and functional health. METHODS: We analyzed 16,826 questionnaires from 10,074 firefighters in yearly intervals, from September 12, 2001, to September 11, 2005. RESULTS: The prevalence of elevated PTSD risk increased over time, from 9.8% in year 1 to 10.6% in year 4 (p < 0.0001). Earliest arrival at the WTC site (odds ratio [OR] = 6.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.4, 8.3), prolonged work at the site (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.8, 2.3), providing supervision without previous supervisory experience (OR = 4.1; 95% CI 2.8, 6.1), and retirement due to a WTC-related disability (OR=1.3; 95% CI 1.1, 1.5) were associated with ever having elevated PTSD risk. Difficulty functioning at home was strongly associated with elevated PTSD risk (ORs ranged from 17.0 [95% CI 14.5, 20.0] in year 1 to 26.7 [95% CI 20.3, 35.2] in year 3), as was difficulty functioning at work (ORs ranged from 12.1 [95% CI 10.2, 14.2] in year 1 to 23.0 [95% CI 14.6, 36.3] in year 2). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated PTSD risk was associated with exposure to the WTC site as well as functional impairment, and remained largely unabated during the first four years of the study. Screening for elevated PTSD risk may be useful in identifying those who could benefit from interventions during long-term follow-up, as well as in the immediate aftermath of disasters.
Authors: Carol S North; Laura Tivis; J Curtis McMillen; Betty Pfefferbaum; Edward L Spitznagel; Jann Cox; Sara Nixon; Kenneth P Bunch; Elizabeth M Smith Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2002-05 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Fran H Norris; Matthew J Friedman; Patricia J Watson; Christopher M Byrne; Eolia Diaz; Krzysztof Kaniasty Journal: Psychiatry Date: 2002 Impact factor: 2.458
Authors: Sandro Galea; David Vlahov; Heidi Resnick; Jennifer Ahern; Ezra Susser; Joel Gold; Michael Bucuvalas; Dean Kilpatrick Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 2003-09-15 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: David J Prezant; Michael Weiden; Gisela I Banauch; Georgeann McGuinness; William N Rom; Thomas K Aldrich; Kerry J Kelly Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2002-09-09 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Barry Krakow; Dominic Melendrez; Lisa Johnston; Teddy D Warner; James O Clark; Mary Pacheco; Beth Pedersen; Mary Koss; Michael Hollifield; Ron Schrader Journal: J Nerv Ment Dis Date: 2002-07 Impact factor: 2.254
Authors: John K McGee; Lung Chi Chen; Mitchell D Cohen; Glen R Chee; Colette M Prophete; Najwa Haykal-Coates; Shirley J Wasson; Teri L Conner; Daniel L Costa; Stephen H Gavett Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2003-06 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Paul J Lioy; Clifford P Weisel; James R Millette; Steven Eisenreich; Daniel Vallero; John Offenberg; Brian Buckley; Barbara Turpin; Mianhua Zhong; Mitchell D Cohen; Colette Prophete; Ill Yang; Robert Stiles; Glen Chee; Willie Johnson; Robert Porcja; Shahnaz Alimokhtari; Robert C Hale; Charles Weschler; Lung Chi Chen Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2002-07 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Joseph W Boffa; Ian H Stanley; Lia J Smith; Brittany M Mathes; Jana K Tran; Sam J Buser; Norman B Schmidt; Anka A Vujanovic Journal: J Nerv Ment Dis Date: 2018-03 Impact factor: 2.254
Authors: A Lowell; B Suarez-Jimenez; L Helpman; X Zhu; A Durosky; A Hilburn; F Schneier; R Gross; Y Neria Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2017-08-14 Impact factor: 7.723
Authors: Mayris P Webber; Roy Lee; Jackie Soo; Jackson Gustave; Charles B Hall; Kerry Kelly; David Prezant Journal: Sleep Breath Date: 2010-07-01 Impact factor: 2.816
Authors: Jessica R Dietch; Camilo J Ruggero; Keke Schuler; Daniel J Taylor; Benjamin J Luft; Roman Kotov Journal: J Occup Health Psychol Date: 2019-06-17
Authors: Ian H Stanley; Melanie A Hom; Carol Chu; Sean P Dougherty; Austin J Gallyer; Sally Spencer-Thomas; Leah Shelef; Eyal Fruchter; Katherine Anne Comtois; Peter M Gutierrez; Natalie J Sachs-Ericsson; Thomas E Joiner Journal: Psychol Serv Date: 2018-03-29
Authors: Samantha G Farris; Angelo M DiBello; Nicholas P Allan; Julianna Hogan; Norman B Schmidt; Michael J Zvolensky Journal: Psychol Assess Date: 2015-04-20
Authors: Mayris P Webber; Michelle S Glaser; Jessica Weakley; Jackie Soo; Fen Ye; Rachel Zeig-Owens; Michael D Weiden; Anna Nolan; Thomas K Aldrich; Kerry Kelly; David Prezant Journal: Am J Ind Med Date: 2011-09 Impact factor: 2.214
Authors: Michael D Weiden; Sophia Kwon; Erin Caraher; Kenneth I Berger; Joan Reibman; William N Rom; David J Prezant; Anna Nolan Journal: Semin Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2015-05-29 Impact factor: 3.119