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Background: World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers have a high burden of asthma, comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). PTSD is associated with worse asthma outcomes., Objective: In this study, we evaluated whether the relationship between PTSD and asthma morbidity is modified by the presence of MDD., Methods: We used data from a cohort of WTC workers with asthma. Asthma control (asthma control questionnaire), resource utilization, and quality of life (asthma quality of life questionnaire) were evaluated. We used regression analyses to evaluate the adjusted association of PTSD and MDD with asthma control, resource utilization, and quality of life., Results: Of the study cohort of 293 WTC workers with asthma, 19% had PTSD alone, 2% had MDD alone, and 12% had PTSD and MDD. Adjusted mean differences (95% confidence interval) in asthma control questionnaire scores were 1.32 (0.85-1.80) for WTC workers with PTSD and MDD, 0.44 (0.03-0.84) for those with PTSD alone, and 0.50 (-0.38 to 1.38) for workers with MDD alone compared with those without MDD or PTSD. WTC workers with PTSD and MDD, PTSD alone, and MDD alone had mean (95% confidence interval) adjusted differences in asthma quality of life questionnaire scores of -1.67 (-2.22 to -1.12), -0.56 (-2.23 to -1.12), and -1.21 (-2.23 to -0.18), respectively, compared with workers without MDD or PTSD. Similar patterns were observed for acute resource utilization., Conclusion: PTSD and MDD seem to have a synergistic effect that worsens asthma control and quality of life. Efforts to improve asthma outcomes in this population should address the negative impacts of these common mental health conditions., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the midst of widespread community transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in New York, residents have sought information about COVID-19. We analyzed trends in New York State (NYS) and New York City (NYC) data to quantify the extent of COVID-19-related queries. Data on the number of 311 calls in NYC, Google Trend data on the search term 'Coronavirus' and information about trends in COVID-19 cases in NYS and the USA were compiled from multiple sources. There were 1228 994 total calls to 311 between 22 January 2020 and 22 April 2020, with 50 845 calls specific to COVID-19 in the study period. The proportion of 311 calls related to COVID-19 increased over time, while the 'interest over time' of the search term 'Coronavirus' has exponentially increased since the end of February 2020. It is vital that public health officials provide clear and up-to-date information about protective measures and crucial communications to respond to information-seeking behavior across NYC., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Anxiety sensitivity (fear of internal anxiety-relevant bodily sensations) is an individual difference variable that is associated with the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is also involved in the maintenance/relapse of smoking. Abstinence expectancies are crucial to smoking maintenance, yet, past work has not explored how PTSD symptom severity and anxiety sensitivity contribute to them., Method: Participants were 122 treatment-seeking daily smokers (36.1% female; Mage=49.2, SD=9.7; cigarettes per day: M=18.3, SD=15.2) who were exposed to the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001 and responded to an advertisement for a clinical smoking cessation trial. The indirect effect of anxiety sensitivity was tested in terms of the effect of PTSD symptom severity on smoking abstinence expectancies (i.e., anxiety sensitivity as a statistical mediator)., Results: PTSD symptom severity was positively associated with interoceptive threat-related smoking abstinence expectancies: expecting harmful consequences (β=.33, p<.001) and somatic symptoms (β=.26, p=.007). PTSD symptom severity was also significantly associated with anxiety sensitivity (β=.27, p=.003). Anxiety sensitivity mediated the association between PTSD symptom severity and expectancies about the harmful consequences (β=.09, CI95%=.02-.21; ΔR(2)=.076) and somatic symptoms (β=.11, CI95%=.02-.24; ΔR(2)=.123) from smoking abstinence, with medium effect sizes (Κ(2)=.08 and .10, respectively)., Conclusions: These data document the role of PTSD symptoms in threat-based expectancies about smoking abstinence and suggest anxiety sensitivity may underlie the associations between PTSD symptom severity and abstinence expectancies., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The current study examined the role of World Trade Center (WTC) disaster exposure (hours spent working on the site, dust cloud exposure, and losing friend/loved one) in exacerbating the effects of post-disaster life stress on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and overall functioning among WTC responders., Method: Participants were 18,896 responders (8466 police officers and 10,430 non-traditional responders) participating in the WTC Health Program who completed an initial examination between July, 2002 and April, 2010 and were reassessed an average of two years later., Results: Among police responders, there was a significant interaction, such that the effect of post-disaster life stress on later PTSD symptoms and overall functioning was stronger among police responders who had greater WTC disaster exposure (β's=.029 and .054, respectively, for PTSD symptoms and overall functioning). This moderating effect was absent in non-traditional responders. Across both groups, post-disaster life stress also consistently was related to the dependent variables in a more robust manner than WTC exposure., Discussion: The present findings suggest that WTC exposure may compound post-disaster life stress, thereby resulting in a more chronic course of PTSD symptoms and reduced functioning among police responders., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Although past work has documented relations between HIV/AIDS and negative affective symptoms and disorders, empirical work has only just begun to address explanatory processes that may underlie these associations. The current investigation sought to test the main and interactive effects of HIV symptom distress and anxiety sensitivity in relation to symptoms of panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SA), and depression among people with HIV/AIDS. Participants were 164 adults with HIV/AIDS (17.1% women; mean age, 48.40) recruited from AIDS service organizations (ASOs) in Vermont/New Hampshire and New York City. The sample identified as 40.9% white/Caucasian, 31.1% black, 22.0% Hispanic, and 6.1% mixed/other; with more than half (56.7%) reporting an annual income less than or equal to $10,000. Both men and women reported unprotected sex with men as the primary route of HIV transmission (64.4% and 50%, respectively). HIV symptom distress and anxiety sensitivity (AS) were significantly positively related to PD, SA, and depression symptoms. As predicted, there was a significant interaction between HIV symptom distress and anxiety sensitivity in terms of PD and SA symptoms, but not depressive symptoms. Results suggest that anxiety sensitivity and HIV symptom distress are clinically relevant factors to consider in terms of anxiety and depression among people living with HIV/AIDS. It may be important to evaluate these factors among patients with HIV/AIDS to identify individuals who may be at a particularly high risk for anxiety and depression problems. Limitations included recruitment from ASOs, cross-sectional self-report data, and lack of a clinical diagnostic assessment.