Emergency Department Burden of Mental Health and Substance Misuse After Hurricane Helene: Insights From Rural Appalachia.
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| Title: | Emergency Department Burden of Mental Health and Substance Misuse After Hurricane Helene: Insights From Rural Appalachia. |
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| Authors: | Sugg, Margaret M., Ryan, Sophia C., Preaux, Annie, Quattro, Christine, Alexander-Eitzman, Ben, Thompson, Martie P., Hege, Adam, Runkle, Jennifer D. |
| Source: | American Journal of Public Health. Jun2026, Vol. 116 Issue 6, p806-809. 4p. |
| Subjects: | Substance abuse, Cross-sectional method, Public health surveillance, Medical care use, Mental health services, Research funding, Rural health, At-risk people, Mental illness, Emergency room visits, Hospital emergency services, Anxiety, Affective disorders, Schizophrenia, Descriptive statistics, Convalescence, Health equity, Confidence intervals, Comparative studies, Medicaid, Data analysis software, Natural disasters |
| Geographic Terms: | North Carolina |
| Abstract: | Objectives. To quantify temporal changes in mental health and substance use emergency department utilization following Hurricane Helene (September 2024) in Western North Carolina and identify disparities across vulnerable populations. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using emergency department surveillance data from Western North Carolina counties. We calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by comparing 3 recovery periods (immediate, early, short-term) with their corresponding calendar dates in 2023. Results. Alcohol-related visits increased across all periods (immediate: IRR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.14, 1.60; early: IRR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.31, 1.65; short-term: IRR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.21, 1.52). Anxiety disorders increased across all periods, mood disorders increased during early recovery, schizophrenia visits increased during short-term recovery (IRR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.40), and opioid-related visits showed marginally significant increases during short-term recovery (IRR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.00, 1.45). Counties with higher elderly populations showed amplified alcohol and anxiety effects; counties with higher uninsured or covered by Medicaid rates showed lower utilization. Conclusions. Hurricane Helene was associated with sustained increases in alcohol- and anxiety-related emergency department visits. Disparities across age and insurance status highlight differential vulnerability and access patterns requiring targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Objectives. To quantify temporal changes in mental health and substance use emergency department utilization following Hurricane Helene (September 2024) in Western North Carolina and identify disparities across vulnerable populations. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using emergency department surveillance data from Western North Carolina counties. We calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by comparing 3 recovery periods (immediate, early, short-term) with their corresponding calendar dates in 2023. Results. Alcohol-related visits increased across all periods (immediate: IRR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.14, 1.60; early: IRR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.31, 1.65; short-term: IRR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.21, 1.52). Anxiety disorders increased across all periods, mood disorders increased during early recovery, schizophrenia visits increased during short-term recovery (IRR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.40), and opioid-related visits showed marginally significant increases during short-term recovery (IRR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.00, 1.45). Counties with higher elderly populations showed amplified alcohol and anxiety effects; counties with higher uninsured or covered by Medicaid rates showed lower utilization. Conclusions. Hurricane Helene was associated with sustained increases in alcohol- and anxiety-related emergency department visits. Disparities across age and insurance status highlight differential vulnerability and access patterns requiring targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00900036 |
| DOI: | 10.2105/AJPH.2026.308456 |
