Help-Seeking Preferences and Influencing Factors Among Chinese Nurses Exposed to COVID-19: A Person-Centered Approach.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore help-seeking preference categories and crucial influencing factors among community nurses exposed to COVID-19 in China using a new person-centered approach. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design including an online self-reported questionnaire survey was used. METHODS: A total of 667 nurses who participated in COVID-19 prevention and control work were recruited. Latent class analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze the data using Mplus and SPSS. FINDINGS: Two latent classes of help-seeking preferences were identified: high help-seeking preferences (33.58%) and low help-seeking preferences (66.42%). Most sampled nurses had relatively low help-seeking preferences when facing psychological threats during COVID-19. Logistic regression showed that career duration, perceived social support, online help-seeking intention, and social media exposure negatively affected low help-seeking preferences. CONCLUSIONS: Career duration, perceived social support, online help-seeking intention, and social media exposure could be key factors influencing help-seeking preferences among Chinese nurses exposed to public emergencies. It is necessary to implement relevant intervention measures, such as focusing on nurses whose career durations are shorter, improving nurses' perceived social support, strengthening positive media publicity, and developing comprehensive online mental health services that promote nurses' help-seeking preferences and behaviors to reduce mental illness during public health emergencies. CLINICAL EVIDENCE: Help-seeking preferences are relatively low among Chinese nurses during public emergencies. Based on the major influencing factors of help-seeking preferences, including social support and social media exposure, more interventions must be developed for prompting psychological help-seeking intentions among Chinese nurses.

O le tagata ma lona aiga, o le tagata ma lona fa'asinomaga (Every person belongs to a family and every family belongs to a person): Development of a parenting framework for adolescent mental wellbeing in American Samoa.

American Samoan adolescents experience a high prevalence of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. To complement existing health system efforts, family-based interventions may be a feasible, cost-effective, and relevant opportunity to promote mental health. This community-partnered, qualitative study aimed to: (1) identify potential family-related psychosocial protective factors for adolescent mental health and (2) develop a framework for a parenting program to promote adolescent mental health in American Samoa. Applying the fa'afaletui framework developed for research in Samoan communities, which emphasizes the importance of weaving a range of community member perspectives to reach consensus, semi-structured in-depth interviews with adult key informants (n=28) were conducted between October 2020 and February 2021. Results were validated through five focus groups with Samoan adolescents (n=35) between May and June 2022. Adult participants were sampled for diversity in profession, age, gender, education, and region of residence; adolescent participants were sampled for diversity in gender. Participants were recruited using personal networks and snowball sampling; adolescent participants also responded to Facebook advertising. The semi-structured interviews focused on broad topics including common mental health problems, contributors to mental illness, and potential interventions, among others. Transcripts were coded in duplicate and analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Themes were collaboratively mapped onto an adapted fonofale model, an existing framework for Pacific Island health research. Six themes described key practices: (1) provide emotional safety and security; (2) provide physical safety and security; (3) encourage sense of self; (4) strengthen intergenerational communication skills; (5) prioritize quality time; and (6) cultivate healthy coping strategies. Participants also expressed the importance of a supportive environment grounded in culture, family and community, and caregiver mental health. These results provide an initial step to identify family-focused factors that promote adolescent mental health in American Samoa and categorize them into a framework to inform intervention development. Drawing on a collaborative and community-partnered process, these findings provide the first evidence-based framework to develop a parenting program to promote adolescent mental wellbeing and resilience in Samoan communities.

Depression and PTSD among Houston Residents who Experienced Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19: Implications for Urban Areas Affected by Multiple Disasters.

Little is known about the combined impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other major disasters on mental health. Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast in 2017, resulting in substantial costs, significant levels of displacement, and approximately 100 deaths, and was followed in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. We randomly sampled 1167 Houstonians from 88 designated super-neighborhoods and surveyed them about their demographics, event-specific traumas and stressors, and symptoms of current depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We estimated the prevalence of depression (5.8%) and PTSD (12.6%) more than three years after Hurricane Harvey, and assessed the relative influence of event-specific stressors and traumas on current mental health. Overall, we observed evidence for two key findings that are salient for residents of urban environments in the context of multiple disasters. First, stressors were primary influences on depression, whereas both stressors and traumas influenced PTSD. Second, the influences of stressors and traumas on depression and PTSD symptoms faded with time.

Lessons from Hurricane Katrina for predicting the indirect health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond their immediate effects on mortality, disasters have widespread, indirect impacts on mental and physical well-being by exposing survivors to stress and potential trauma. Identifying the disaster-related stressors that predict health adversity will help officials prepare for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Using data from a prospective study of young, low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina, we find that bereavement, fearing for loved ones' well-being, and lacking access to medical care and medications predict adverse mental and physical health 1 y postdisaster, and some effects persist 12 y later. Adjusting for preexisting health and socioeconomic conditions attenuates, but does not eliminate, these associations. The findings, while drawn from a demographically unique sample, suggest that, to mitigate the indirect effects of COVID-19, lapses in medical care and medication use must be minimized, and public health resources should be directed to those with preexisting medical conditions, their social networks, and the bereaved.

"They Wanted to Talk to a 'Real Doctor'": Predictors, Perpetrators, and Experiences of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination Among Healthcare Workers.

BACKGROUND: Racial and ethnic diversity of healthcare workers have benefits on team functioning and patient care. However, a significant barrier to retaining diverse providers is discrimination. OBJECTIVE: To assess the predictors, perpetrators, and narratives of racial discrimination among healthcare workers. DESIGN: Survey study. PARTICIPANTS: Healthcare workers employed at academic hospitals. MAIN MEASURES: We assessed prevalence and perpetrators of racial and ethnic discrimination using the General Ethnic Discrimination Scale. We included an open-ended question asking respondents to recount experiences of discrimination and analyzed responses using grounded theory. KEY RESULTS: Of the 997 participants, 12.2% were females from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine (URM), 4.0% URM males, 10.1% Asian females, 4.7% Asian males, 49.1% non-Hispanic White females, and 19.8% non-Hispanic White males. Among healthcare workers of color, 85.2% reported discrimination. Over half of URM females (51.4%), URM males (52.6%), and Asian females (62.5%) reported discrimination by patients. About 20-25% of URM females, URM males, and Asian females reported discrimination by teachers, supervisors, co-workers, and institutions. In adjusted binary logistic models, URM females had 10.14 odds (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 5.13, 20.02, p<.001), URM males 6.23 odds (95%CI: 2.59, 14.98, p<.001), Asian females 7.90 odds (95%CI: 4.07, 15.33, p<.001), and Asian males 2.96 odds (95% CI: 1.47, 5.97, p=.002) of reporting discrimination compared with non-Hispanic White males. Needing more support was associated with 2.51 odds (95%CI: 1.54, 4.08, p<.001) of reporting discrimination. Our qualitative findings identified that the murder of George Floyd intensified URM healthcare workers' experiences of discrimination through increased fear of violence and requests for unpaid diversity work. Asian healthcare workers reported that pandemic-related anti-Asian violence shaped their experiences of discrimination through increased fear of violence and care refusal from patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide insights into experienced discrimination among healthcare workers and opportunities for hospitals to create programs that improve inclusivity.

Latent Profiles of Internal and External Consent During a Recent Sexual Encounter.

Understanding how individuals conceptualize and communicate sexual consent is critical to sexual health and has important implications for the prevention of sexual assault. This study used a data-driven (vs. a theoretical) approach to understand how students' internal feelings of willingness (i.e., internal consent) and behavioral communication of consent (i.e., external consent) cluster together within sexual encounters. Using data from 610 college students (72% female) who reported on their most recent sexual encounter, latent profile analysis revealed five distinct consent profiles. Most students reported willing encounters that involved the use of several external consent cues (68.9%), a small group reported low levels of both internal and external consent (3.8%), and three groups (27.3% altogether) reported encounters with complex patterns of internal and external consent. Demographic and encounter-level differences were observed across profiles. Programming that trains students to attend to their own internal desires in addition to external consent behaviors could improve emotional health and shift social norms about sexual communication.

Climate change anxiety and mental health: Environmental activism as buffer.

A growing body of research has documented the phenomenon of climate change anxiety (CCA), defined broadly as negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses associated with concerns about climate change. A recently validated scale of CCA indicated two subscales: cognitive emotional impairment and functional impairment (Clayton & Karazsia, 2020). However, there are few empirical studies on CCA to date and little evidence regarding whether CCA is associated with psychiatric symptoms, including symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and whether engaging in individual and collective action to address climate change could buffer such relationships. This mixed methods study draws on data collected from a sample of emerging adult students (ages 18-35) in the United States (N = 284) to address these gaps. Results indicated that both CCA subscales were significantly associated with GAD symptoms, while only the Functional Impairment subscale was associated with higher MDD symptoms. Moreover, engaging in collective action, but not individual action, significantly attenuated the association between CCA cognitive emotional impairment and MDD symptoms. Responses to open-ended questions asking about participants' worries and actions related to climate change indicated the severity of their worries and, for some, a perception of the insignificance of their actions relative to the enormity of climate change. These results further the field's understanding of CCA, both in general and specifically among emerging adults, and suggest the importance of creating opportunities for collective action to build sense of agency in addressing climate change.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom trajectories within the first year following emergency department admissions: pooled results from the International Consortium to predict PTSD.

BACKGROUND: Research exploring the longitudinal course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has documented four modal trajectories (low, remitting, high, and delayed), with proportions varying across studies. Heterogeneity could be due to differences in trauma types and patient demographic characteristics. METHODS: This analysis pooled data from six longitudinal studies of adult survivors of civilian-related injuries admitted to general hospital emergency departments (EDs) in six countries (pooled N = 3083). Each study included at least three assessments of the clinician-administered PTSD scale in the first post-trauma year. Latent class growth analysis determined the proportion of participants exhibiting various PTSD symptom trajectories within and across the datasets. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined demographic characteristics, type of event leading to the injury, and trauma history as predictors of trajectories differentiated by their initial severity and course. RESULTS: Five trajectories were found across the datasets: Low (64.5%), Remitting (16.9%), Moderate (6.7%), High (6.5%), and Delayed (5.5%). Female gender, non-white race, prior interpersonal trauma, and assaultive injuries were associated with increased risk for initial PTSD reactions. Female gender and assaultive injuries were associated with risk for membership in the Delayed (v. Low) trajectory, and lower education, prior interpersonal trauma, and assaultive injuries with risk for membership in the High (v. Remitting) trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that over 30% of civilian-related injury survivors admitted to EDs experience moderate-to-high levels of PTSD symptoms within the first post-trauma year, with those reporting assaultive violence at increased risk of both immediate and longer-term symptoms.

Physical Health Symptoms and Hurricane Katrina: Individual Trajectories of Development and Recovery More Than a Decade After the Storm.

Objectives. To examine how physical health symptoms developed and resolved in response to Hurricane Katrina.Methods. We used data from a 2003 to 2018 study of young, low-income mothers who were living in New Orleans, Louisiana, when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 (n = 276). We fit logistic regressions to model the odds of first reporting or "developing" headaches or migraines, back problems, and digestive problems, and of experiencing remission or "recovery" from previously reported symptoms, across surveys.Results. The prevalence of each symptom increased after Hurricane Katrina, but the odds of developing symptoms shortly before versus after the storm were comparable. The number of traumatic experiences endured during Hurricane Katrina increased the odds of developing back and digestive problems just after the hurricane. Headaches or migraines and back problems that developed shortly after Hurricane Katrina were more likely to resolve than those that developed just before the storm.Conclusions. While traumatic experiences endured in disasters such as Hurricane Katrina appear to prompt the development of new physical symptoms, disaster-induced symptoms may be less likely to persist or become chronic than those emerging for other reasons.

Particulate matter pollution and risk of outpatient visits for psychological diseases in Nanjing, China.

Exposure to air pollution has been associated with increased risk for a range of adverse mental health conditions. Less is known about whether air pollution is also associated with increases in the utilization of mental health services, especially outpatient mental health service utilization. This study aimed to examine the association between the number of daily outpatient visits at the psychological disease departments of two major hospitals (PSYC) and daily average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in a heavily polluted city in China, Nanjing, from 2013/7/1 to 2019/2/28, using generalized additive models with a quasi-Poisson regression. Results showed that each 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration on lag0 day was associated with a 0.40% increase (95% CI: 0.07-0.72) in PSYC visits, and each 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10 concentration on the same day a 0.31% increase (95% CI: 0.09-0.54) in PSYC visits. Exposure-response curves suggested linear relationships between PM concentration and daily PSYC outpatient visits, without evidence of a threshold. Associations remained positive, but were non-significant, with adjustment for co-pollutants, SO2, NO2 and CO. Significantly larger effects were found for older and male participants, vs. their counterparts. These findings add to the growing literature linking air pollution to mental health service utilization, demonstrating the critical need for both air pollution mitigation measures and increased capacity of the mental health system in China.

Discrimination and Posttraumatic Growth Among Muslim American Youth: Mediation via Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms.

Muslim Americans increasingly have been targets of discrimination. Previous research has provided preliminary evidence that higher perceived discrimination is associated with higher symptoms of discrimination-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and higher discrimination-related posttraumatic growth (PTG). Further research in other contexts has shown that PTSD symptoms mediate the relationship between event severity and PTG. However, no existing studies have explored discrimination-related PTG and whether PTSD symptoms mediate the relationship between perceived discrimination and discrimination-related PTG among Muslim Americans. The current study included 110 Muslim American college students who completed an online survey assessing perceived discrimination, discrimination-related PTSD symptoms, and discrimination-related PTG. Higher perceived discrimination was significantly associated with higher discrimination-related PTG at the bivariate level. In a multivariable mediation model, the indirect effect of perceived discrimination on discrimination-related PTG via discrimination-related PTSD was statistically significant. The results suggest that clinicians working with Muslim American college students should attend to the ways in which their discriminatory experiences could foster PTG, in addition to helping them cope with PTSD symptoms.

A Life-Course Model of Trauma Exposure and Mental Health Among Low-Income Survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Prior research has provided robust evidence that exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) during a disaster is predictive of adverse postdisaster mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and nonspecific psychological distress (PD). However, few studies have explored the role of exposure to other PTEs over the life-course in shaping postdisaster mental health. Based on the broader literature on trauma exposure and mental health, we hypothesized a path analytic model linking predisaster PTEs to long-term postdisaster PTSS and PD via predisaster PD, short-term postdisaster symptoms, and disaster-related and postdisaster PTEs. We tested this model using data from the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina study, a longitudinal study of low-income, primarily non-Hispanic Black mothers exposed to Hurricane Katrina and assessed before the disaster and at time points 1, 4, and 12 years thereafter. The models evidenced a good fit with the data, RMSEA < .01-.04, CFIs > .99. In addition, 44.1%-67.4% of the effect of predisaster PTEs on long-term postdisaster symptoms was indirect. Descriptive differences were observed across models that included PTSS versus PD, as well as models that included all pre- and postdisaster PTEs versus only those that involved assaultive violence. The results suggest the importance of incorporating disaster preparedness in clinical work with trauma survivors and the value in attending to other lifetime PTEs when working in postdisaster contexts.

Evaluating a screener to quantify PTSD risk using emergency care information: a proof of concept study.

BACKGROUND: Previous work has indicated that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, measured by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) within 60 days of trauma exposure, can reliably produce likelihood estimates of chronic PTSD among trauma survivors admitted to acute care centers. Administering the CAPS is burdensome, requires skilled professionals, and relies on symptoms that are not fully expressed upon acute care admission. Predicting chronic PTSD from peritraumatic responses, which are obtainable upon acute care admission, has yielded conflicting results, hence the rationale for a stepwise screening-and-prediction practice. This work explores the ability of peritraumatic responses to produce risk likelihood estimates of early CAPS-based PTSD symptoms indicative of chronic PTSD risk. It specifically evaluates the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ) as a risk-likelihood estimator. METHODS: We used individual participant data (IPD) from five acute care studies that used both the PDEQ and the CAPS (n = 647). Logistic regression calculated the probability of having CAPS scores ≥ 40 between 30 and 60 days after trauma exposure across the range of initial PDEQ scores, and evaluated the added contribution of age, sex, trauma type, and prior trauma exposure. Brier scores, area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), and the mean slope of the calibration line evaluated the accuracy and precision of the predicted probabilities. RESULTS: Twenty percent of the sample had CAPS ≥ 40. PDEQ severity significantly predicted having CAPS ≥ 40 symptoms (p < 0.001). Incremental PDEQ scores produced a reliable estimator of CAPS ≥ 40 likelihood. An individual risk estimation tool incorporating PDEQ and other significant risk indicators is provided. CONCLUSION: Peritraumatic reactions, measured here by the PDEQ, can reliably quantify the likelihood of acute PTSD symptoms predictive of chronic PTSD and requiring clinical attention. Using them as a screener in a stepwise chronic PTSD prediction strategy may reduce the burden of later CAPS-based assessments. Other peritraumatic metrics may perform similarly and their use requires similar validation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Jerusalem Trauma Outreach and Prevention Study (J-TOPS): NCT00146900.

Correction to: Evaluating a screener to quantify PTSD risk using emergency care information: a proof of concept study.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Social support as a mediator of occupational stressors and mental health outcomes in first responders.

This cross-sectional study aimed to address whether occupational stressors are associated with adverse mental health outcomes in first responders via lower social support. A total of 895 first responders including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and firefighters from 50 US States and the Virgin Islands (mean = 37.32, standard deviation = 12.09, 59.2% male, and 91.3% White) completed an online survey. Bivariate analyses indicated that occupational stressors were positively correlated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression (MD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms, and negatively correlated with social support, whereas social support was negatively correlated with PTSD, MD, and GAD symptoms. Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of occupational stressors on PTSD, MD, and GAD symptoms via social support, after controlling for covariates. Although longitudinal research is needed for a more robust examination of this pathway, the results highlight the importance of social support in first responders. Efforts to augment the support systems of first responders are recommended.

Cumulative Disaster Exposure and Mental and Physical Health Symptoms Among a Large Sample of Gulf Coast Residents.

A large body of research has linked disaster exposure to adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Few studies, however, have explored the cumulative impact of exposure to multiple disasters. Participants (N = 8,366) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Gulf Long-Term Follow-Up Study were classified as having been exposed to both, either, or neither Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS). Participants also reported on a range of mental and physical health symptoms. Logistic regression models found that participants who were exposed to both disasters had significantly higher odds of probable generalized anxiety disorder, odds ratio (OR) = 1.72, 95% CI [1.52, 1.96]; major depression, OR = 1.53, 95% CI [1.32, 1.77]; and posttraumatic stress disorder, OR = 2.51, 95% CI [2.03, 3.10], than participants who were exposed to only one disaster, ps < .001. Additionally, a linear regression model found that participants who were exposed to both disasters had significantly more physical health symptoms at the time of the spill than those who were exposed to only one disaster, B = 0.99, SE = .20, p < .001. The results indicate that cumulative disaster exposure confers enhanced risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. The findings demonstrate that screening for prior exposure among disaster-affected individuals might identify those at greatest risk for adverse health outcomes.

Spanish Abstracts by Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET) Exposición Acumulativa a Desastres y Síntomas de Salud Mentales y Físicos entre una Amplia Muestra de Residentes del Golfo de México EXPOSICION ACUMULATIVA AL DESASTRE Y SINTOMAS DE SALUD Un vasta serie de investigaciones ha vinculado la exposición a desastres con resultados adversos en la salud mental y física. Sin embargo, escasos estudios han explorado el impacto acumulativo de la exposición a múltiples desastres Los participantes (N = 8,366) del Estudio de Seguimiento a Largo Plazo del Golfo del Instituto Nacional de Ciencias de la Salud Ambiental fueron clasificados como expuesto a ambos, ya sea al Huracán Katrina o al derrame de petróleo de Deepwater Horizon (DHOS en sus siglas en inglés). Los participantes también informaron un rango de síntomas de salud mental y física. Modelos de regresión logística encontraron que los participantes que estuvieron expuestos a ambos desastres tuvieron probabilidades significativamente más altas de presentar trastorno de ansiedad generalizada, proporción de probabilidades (OR) = 1.72, IC 95% [1.52, 1.96]; depresión mayor, OR = 1,53, IC del 95% [1,32, 1,77]; y trastorno de estrés postraumático, OR = 2.51, IC 95% [2.03, 3.10], comparado con los participantes que estuvieron expuestos a un sólo desastre, ps<.001. Adicionalmente, un modelo de regresión lineal encontró que los participantes que fueron expuestos a ambos desastres tuvieron significativamente más síntomas de salud física en el momento del derrame que aquellos que estuvieron expuestos a un sólo desastre, B = 0.99, SE = .20, p <.001. Los resultados indican que la exposición acumulativa al desastre confiere mayor riesgo de resultados adversos para la salud mental y física. Los hallazgos demuestran que la detección de la exposición previa entre individuos afectados por un desastre podría identificar aquellos con mayor riesgo para presentar resultados adversos para la salud.

Perceived Discrimination and Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Symptoms: In Muslim American College Students.

Prior research has found that Muslim Americans' discrimination experiences are associated with increased risk of mental health problems. However, few studies have included Muslim American college students or identified moderators of this relationship. Among a sample of Muslim American college students (N = 141), the current study found that perceived discrimination was positively associated with MD and GAD symptom severity. Having a strong Muslim American identity exacerbated the relationship between perceived discrimination and GAD symptoms. The findings support practices to reduce discrimination toward Muslim American college students and the need for outreach to students with a strong Muslim American identity.

Alcohol and Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use to Cope With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: An Analysis of Hurricane Sandy Survivors.

BACKGROUND: Postdisaster increases in substance use have been attributed to use of substances to cope with emotional reactions. However, no study to our knowledge has explored disaster survivors' substance use to cope with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use and nonmedical prescription drug use (NMPDU) to cope with PTSD symptoms in two population-based samples of adult residents of New York City neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Sandy. METHOD: Participants completed structured interviews at either 13-16 or 25-28 months postdisaster (combined N = 914). Participants with PTSD symptoms, assessed via the Posttraumatic Stress Checklist for DSM-5, indicated whether they coped with their symptoms through alcohol use or NMPDU, via items adapted from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Logistic regression models explored correlates of substance use coping, including demographic characteristics, lifetime and hurricane-related exposures, and psychiatric symptoms in the combined sample. RESULTS: Over a third of participants in the combined sample (n = 311, 34.0%) reported PTSD symptoms, and of these, 12.8% used alcohol to cope and 9.2% endorsed NMPDU to cope. Older age and being a parent living with a child under 18 years old at the time of the hurricane were associated with a lower likelihood, and more severe depression symptoms with a higher likelihood, of alcohol use coping. Conclusions/Importance: Although preliminary, the results provide evidence for the use of substances to cope with postdisaster PTSD symptoms, and that age, parent status, and depression symptoms are associated with alcohol use coping.