Employment Sectoral Differences of Public Service Disruptions and Psychological Distress among U.S. Workers after Disasters: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background The global escalation of disasters presents mental health concerns. However, disaster research primarily focuses on direct traumatic exposure, with less attention devoted to understanding how disruptions of public services after disasters are associated with psychological distress among workers from different employment sectors. Methods We analyzed one wave of the U.S. Census Bureau Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), a cross-sectional survey of 3,971 employed respondents conducted from February 21 to March 7, 2025, to assess how disaster-related disruptions to essential services are associated with mental distress across diverse employment sectors. Mental distress was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (range: 0–12). Results Safety service disruption showed the strongest positive association with mental distress (β = 0.071, p < 0.001), followed by social service disruption (β = 0.046, p < 0.05). Direct disaster impacts (displacement and property damage) and other service-disruption domains, including food, water, and infrastructure services, were not statistically associated with mental distress (p > 0.10). Public-sector (β = 0.116, p < 0.01) and non-profit workers (β = 0.094, p < 0.05) reported significantly higher mental distress than private-sector employees, whereas self-employed workers did not differ substantially. Public-sector employees exhibited amplified vulnerability to safety disruptions (interaction β = 0.117, p < 0.001), with no significant sectoral moderation observed for social service disruption. Conclusion Safety and social service disruptions were positively associated with post-disaster psychological distress rather than direct disaster impacts, with public-sector workers showing heightened vulnerability. Disaster preparedness should prioritize rapid service restoration and integrate sector-specific mental health interventions into planning frameworks.