Natural disasters such as hurricanes and tropical storms are increasing in frequency and severity due to global climate change. A new study by University of Iowa researchers evaluated whether exposure to hurricanes is associated with adverse mental health outcomes among U.S. veterans. The study was published online Jan. 17, 2025, in JAMA Network Open.

The investigators evaluated data from nearly 1.8 million U.S. veterans enrolled in Veteran Health Administration (VHA) primary care with home addresses in regions that were affected by Hurricanes Sandy or Harvey. The research team looked at subsequent mental health visits among the veterans, adjusting for numerous demographic and neighborhood characteristics.

The findings showed that veterans’ exposure to Hurricanes Sandy or Harvey was not associated with increased acute care mental health visits up to four years after the hurricanes. However, increasing neighborhood disadvantage, which includes factors such as income, education, employment, and housing quality, was strongly associated with adverse mental health outcomes.

“Our results suggest that neighborhood characteristics, rather than exposure to a hurricane, are the dominant determinants of mental health outcomes among veterans,” the authors wrote in the paper.

The study also illustrates the importance of considering preexisting regional differences when assessing the associations of hurricanes and other disasters with mental health outcomes, the authors noted.

The research team included Caryn Yip and Peter Thorne, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health; Peter Kaboli, Department of Internal Medicine and Iowa City Veterans Affairs Healthcare System; Michael Jones, Department of Biostatistics and Iowa City Veterans Affairs Healthcare System; and Margaret Carrel, Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences.