Trajectories of perceived social support among low-income female survivors of Hurricane Katrina

The purpose of this study was to explore trajectories of perceived social support among low-income women who survived Hurricane Katrina, and were surveyed prior to the hurricane and approximately one and four years thereafter (N = 562). Latent class growth analysis provided evidence of the following four trajectories of perceived support: High Increasing (35.9%), High Decreasing (20.3%), Low Stable (41.1%), and Low Decreasing (2.7%). Bereavement was significantly predictive of membership in the Low Stable trajectory, relative to the High Increasing and High Decreasing trajectories. Higher psychological distress and indicators of greater social network size, density, and closeness were significantly predictive of membership in the Low Decreasing trajectory, relative to the High Increasing and High Decreasing trajectories.