ERIC Number: EJ1341270
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2589-949X
EISSN: N/A
Cumulative Risk of Psychological Distress in College Students Effected by Hurricane Harvey
Hudson, Philip J.; Lai, Betty; Short, Mary B.
European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, v3 n2 p101-109 2020
This study examines the relationship between prior trauma and post disaster psychological distress in a sample of college students exposed to Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas in 2017. College students (n = 324) receive treatment for psychological problems at very low rates, so screening for the most vulnerable students after a disaster is important. While the relationship between prior trauma and post-disaster psychological distress is well established, the evidence for prior disaster exposure as a risk factor outside of other trauma is mixed. Prior trauma was divided into two cumulative risk style indicators: prior traumatic experiences (excluding disasters) and prior disaster exposure. In multiple linear regression models, prior traumatic experiences were significant predictors of post-disaster symptoms of both post-traumatic stress disorder and depression following the hurricane. Prior disaster exposures were not significant in either case. Implications for future screening and analysis of risk factors are discussed.
Descriptors: Risk, Psychological Patterns, College Students, Natural Disasters, Student Experience, Trauma, Predictor Variables, Depression (Psychology)
Eurasian Society of Educational Research. 7321 Parkway Drive South, Hanover, MD 21076. e-mail: publisher@ejper.com; Web site: https://www.ejper.com/about-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas (Houston)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A