Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40035922›Full record

ArticleDiscover mental health2025

Natural disasters and SARS-CoV-2: potential risk factors for exacerbating mental health conditions among veterans.

Parthasarathy Arpitha, Laura Bolorin-Vargas, Glorisel Gonzalez-Viera, Marta Rodriguez-Garcia, Gerardo Jovet-Toledo, Irma L Molina-Vicenty, Luis Collazo-Rodriguez, Maria Leticia Reyes-Rabanillo

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Discover mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Parthasarathy ArpithaVeterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA. arpitha.parthasarathy@va.gov.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1288-9495
Laura Bolorin-VargasVeterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA.
Glorisel Gonzalez-VieraVeterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA.
Marta Rodriguez-GarciaVeterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA.
Gerardo Jovet-ToledoVeterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA.
Irma L Molina-VicentyVeterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA.
Luis Collazo-RodriguezVeterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA.
Maria Leticia Reyes-RabanilloVeterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA. maria.reyes-rabanillo@va.gov.

Funding

Tracking and Evaluation CoreU54GM133807 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES · PI PORTER, JAMES T. · 2020 to 2024
$17.7M
NIGMS NIH HHS U54 GM133807
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPuerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Veterans (PRVs) have faced recurring challenges from hurricanes, earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These events combined with prior traumas and social determinants of health (SDoH), may contribute to neuropsychiatric mental health conditions (MHCs) like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) in PRVs affected by SARS-CoV-2.

methodsTo clinically characterize the risk factors for MHCs among SARS-CoV-2 infected PRVs, we examined 839 records (2016-2020) to study SARS-CoV-2 infections and MHCs. Records were assessed for (i) PTSD and SUD using health data at diagnosis; (ii) clinical details pre-hurricanes (control; group 1), during hurricanes (group 2), and pandemic (group 3). Groups 1 and 2 were reviewed in 2020 to gauge exacerbation. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2/PHQ-9), PTSD checklist (PCL-5), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), SDoH, and other tools were used for clinical evaluation, with the data analyzed using logistic regression.

resultsHealth data indicated SARS-CoV-2 infection in 21 PRVs. Earthquakes did not affect the infected PRVs nor did SDoH have any significant impact. Clinical analysis revealed that SUD worsened during hurricanes and exacerbation of all MHCs occurred during the pandemic among SARS-CoV-2 infected PRVs.

conclusionsThese results underscore the fact that the combination of natural disasters like hurricanes and SARS-CoV-2 had synergistically contributed to the deterioration of neuropsychiatric MHCs, therefore warranting equitable MH support.

Indexed as

COVID-19Mental healthMental health exacerbationNatural disastersPTSDSUD

Identifiers

PMID40035922
PMCPMC11880468

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.