Category: NYU Faculty

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Urban Transit Workers Face Ongoing Violence, Research Aims to Manage Stress

MTA worker cleaning a subway car.

New York City transit workers are often put in stressful and unpredictable environments as they help maintain one of the largest metropolitan transit systems in the world. The daily stressors of the job have recently come to light due to ongoing violent attacks against transit workers. Researchers, including New York University’s Dr. Alexis Merdjanoff, are studying ways to improve mental health for transit workers amidst the growing concern.

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Disasters, Displacement, and Housing Instability: Estimating Time to Stable Housing 13 Years after Hurricane Katrina

Houses destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. David Abramson, a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU’s School of Global Public Health and Director of the Population Impact, Recovery, and Resilience (PiR2) research program, delves into the prolonged challenges faced by individuals and families in achieving stable housing after Hurricane Katrina in his 2022 publication “Disasters, Displacement, and Housing Instability: Estimating Time to Stable Housing 13 Years after Hurricane Katrina”. Using data from the G-CAFH study and employing survival analysis, his research aims to shed light on the multifaceted factors influencing the recovery process.

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Coping Behavior and Risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Federal Disaster Responders

In the event of a traumatic experience, disaster responders and rescue workers are expected to efficiently and productively respond, often at the expense of their mental well-being. The authors of this study aimed to explore the role of different coping styles on probable Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other covariates.

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Qualitative results of a 17-year follow-up of World Trade Center disaster survivors

A study on survivors of the World Trade Center building attack observes the covariance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with lower-respiratory illnesses (LRS). The study aims to identify methods to manage and treat the disorders. Using the World Trade Center Health Registry, semi-structured interviews were conducted on 100 eligible enrollees, and data were analyzed using a thematic analysis coding protocol. 

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Experiences and Psychosocial Impact of West Africa Ebola Deployment on US Health Care Volunteers

Infectious disease outbreaks and bio-events are becoming increasingly common due to human overpopulation, inadequate health care and public health infrastructure, rapid globalization, and misuse of antibiotics. The impacts of poor farming and land-use practices, declining vaccination rates, and as a result of climate change can impact the frequency and severity of these events.

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Willingness and Ability of Essential Workers to Work During the Pandemic

In an emergency disaster, essential workers are expected to report to duty. Research articles published over thirty years ago caution that emergency planners have to take into account that personnel has varying degrees of willingness and ability to report. For instance, during infectious disease outbreaks, the fear of contagion is greater, and “dilemmas of loyalty” or personal obligations can conflict with professional expectations leading to staff shortages.

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