Author

Nancy G. Kutner (Emory University)

The events of Hurricane Katrina were associated with serious immediate and long-term health problems for people who remained in the area and those who were displaced from the area. In the months following Katrina it was evident that mental health problems after a disaster experience can be especially long-lasting. In this paper we discuss three sociological perspectives on health consequences of events surrounding Hurricane Katrina. First, in comparative perspective, research indicates commonalities in mental health outcomes for people impacted by disasters, but individual and community mental health responses have also been found to vary significantly as a function of influences from social structure and cultural factors. Second, from a health policy perspective, events surrounding Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath highlighted the need for health care system changes that are viewed as essential for public health preparedness. Finally, the Katrina catastrophe must be viewed from a sociological model of health and illness, in which social conditions—especially the intersection of race, class, and poverty—serve as fundamental determinants of health.