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Mental Health Assessment and Risk Characterization in Puerto Rico’s Homeless Post-Hurricane Maria

2023; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 28; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/10875549.2023.2235360

1540-7608

Andy Vega, Yonatan Carl, Xiomara Molina-Perez, Gerardo Collazo-Malave, Kiara Ortiz-Camacho, Benjamin A Gonzalez Burgos, Sofia Martir-Gonzalez, Claudio Villalobos, Raul Ferrer-Burgos, Yaritza Inostroza‐Nieves,

Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations

This study provides a mental health assessment of the homeless of Puerto Rico, compared to a non-homeless sample, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Multi-stage sampling was used to assess risk of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, as well as provide a demographic profile of the homeless and non-homeless of Puerto Rico. The homeless, compared to non-homeless, had a significantly higher risk for all tested mental disorders. Pre-hurricane homeless had significantly higher risk for Major Depressive Disorder and severe mood and anxiety disorders compared to post. This study highlights the need for disaster preparedness strategies specific to this disproportionately affected population.