Religiousness and Psychological Distress of Women after Hurricane Katrina
January 2009
Christian S. Chan and Jean E. Rhodes, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Download 'working_paper09-03.pdf'. 
Abstract
This prospective study examined social support and optimism as protective pathways of influence of general religiousness on post-disaster psychological distress of women who survived Hurricane Katrina. Two questionnaires were administrated, one before and one after the disaster. Participants were 386 low-income, single mothers, predominantly Black. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that, controlling for level of exposure to the hurricanes, pre-disaster physical health, age, and number of children, pre-disaster religiousness contributed to better post-disaster psychosocial resources, which in turn were predictive of less psychological distress.
Keywords:
Social Welfare Programs and Policies, Urban Poverty