A Prospective Examination of Mental Health Trajectories of Disaster-Exposed Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic

This longitudinal study examines young adult mental health (MH) trajectories after exposure to natural disasters (i.e., hurricanes, wildfires, mudslides) across four waves, two pre- and two during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (<i>n</i> = 205) answered questions about anxiety, depr...

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Main Authors: Melissa Janson, Erika D. Felix, Natalia Jaramillo, Jill D. Sharkey, Miya Barnett
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/9/787
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author Melissa Janson
Erika D. Felix
Natalia Jaramillo
Jill D. Sharkey
Miya Barnett
author_facet Melissa Janson
Erika D. Felix
Natalia Jaramillo
Jill D. Sharkey
Miya Barnett
author_sort Melissa Janson
collection DOAJ
description This longitudinal study examines young adult mental health (MH) trajectories after exposure to natural disasters (i.e., hurricanes, wildfires, mudslides) across four waves, two pre- and two during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (<i>n</i> = 205) answered questions about anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) across Waves (Ws) s 1–4 and pre-pandemic factors (prior trauma history, disaster exposure, life stressors since disaster) at Wave (W) 1. Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted to examine MH trajectories and associations with pre-pandemic factors. Only the PTSS trajectory significantly differed across all Ws, with the largest increase between Ws 2 and 3 (pre- and during-pandemic time points). Prior trauma history and life stressors since the disaster were significantly associated with all MH trajectory intercepts but not growth rates.
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spelling doaj-art-b85f9a92a6a24b2f971c4b9605010e2c2025-08-20T01:56:00ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2024-09-0114978710.3390/bs14090787A Prospective Examination of Mental Health Trajectories of Disaster-Exposed Young Adults in the COVID-19 PandemicMelissa Janson0Erika D. Felix1Natalia Jaramillo2Jill D. Sharkey3Miya Barnett4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USADepartment of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USADepartment of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USAThis longitudinal study examines young adult mental health (MH) trajectories after exposure to natural disasters (i.e., hurricanes, wildfires, mudslides) across four waves, two pre- and two during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (<i>n</i> = 205) answered questions about anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) across Waves (Ws) s 1–4 and pre-pandemic factors (prior trauma history, disaster exposure, life stressors since disaster) at Wave (W) 1. Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted to examine MH trajectories and associations with pre-pandemic factors. Only the PTSS trajectory significantly differed across all Ws, with the largest increase between Ws 2 and 3 (pre- and during-pandemic time points). Prior trauma history and life stressors since the disaster were significantly associated with all MH trajectory intercepts but not growth rates.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/9/787young adult mental health symptomsmental health trajectoriescollectively experienced traumasnatural disasterCOVID-19 pandemiclife stressors
spellingShingle Melissa Janson
Erika D. Felix
Natalia Jaramillo
Jill D. Sharkey
Miya Barnett
A Prospective Examination of Mental Health Trajectories of Disaster-Exposed Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Behavioral Sciences
young adult mental health symptoms
mental health trajectories
collectively experienced traumas
natural disaster
COVID-19 pandemic
life stressors
title A Prospective Examination of Mental Health Trajectories of Disaster-Exposed Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full A Prospective Examination of Mental Health Trajectories of Disaster-Exposed Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_fullStr A Prospective Examination of Mental Health Trajectories of Disaster-Exposed Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full_unstemmed A Prospective Examination of Mental Health Trajectories of Disaster-Exposed Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_short A Prospective Examination of Mental Health Trajectories of Disaster-Exposed Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_sort prospective examination of mental health trajectories of disaster exposed young adults in the covid 19 pandemic
topic young adult mental health symptoms
mental health trajectories
collectively experienced traumas
natural disaster
COVID-19 pandemic
life stressors
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/9/787
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