7/21/2023 0 Comments Hurricane katrina aftermathOsofsky, PhD, one of the leaders of the LSU screening project. "These children experienced a difficult evacuation and significant personal losses," states Joy D. Bernard and New Orleans Parishes, showed that over 31 percent reported clinically significant symptoms indicative of depression and PTSD. Symptoms were most common in children who had experienced previous loss or trauma.įurthermore, screening data collected from children returning to St. The LSUHSC team found that of the displaced and returning children 54 percent were experiencing symptoms that put them in need of further mental health care. Bernard and Orleans parishes, as well as children who remain displaced, for their levels of distress and their need for psychological services. LSU Health Sciences Center Department of Psychiatry staff screened children who were evacuated to cruise ships just after the storm and children who have returned to St. To date, two studies (one by Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) and one by Columbia University and the Children's Health Fund) of children affected by the hurricane have found high rates of depression, anxiety, behavioral problems and post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Often people who are already experiencing stress in their lives or who suffered trauma or loss earlier will be most at risk for a post-event psychological disorder.Ĭhildren who experienced Katrina first or even second hand are likely to require special attention. However, a certain percentage of a population will suffer psychological aftereffects of a traumatic event. Most people are remarkably resilient in the face of trauma, and psychological disorders in response to large-scale disasters do not typically reach epidemic proportions. Natural Disasters and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder "Furthermore," Koocher states, "the fact that many of Katrina's victims were members of minority and economically disadvantaged groups further stains the mental health system that may not be up to the task of providing culturally competent care." Koocher, PhD, President of the American Psychological Association. "Couple these realities with a mental health system that was likely inadequate before the storm (most big city mental health systems are), and a serious challenge emerges-many people who may need mental health care, but an insufficient infrastructure to provide it to them," warns Gerald P. The loss of the social network and sense of self that come with familiar surroundings-a home, neighborhood, school and job-can in and of itself lead to serious psychological health problems. Katrina and its aftermath left whole communities particularly vulnerable to such psychological disorders, not only because of the ongoing stress and upheaval of the storm, but also because of the challenging circumstances that many storm victims lived with before Katrina. Victims of national disasters often experience trauma that can lead to psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and substance abuse. The storm and its aftermath displaced more than 1 million people, mostly African-Americans, and unveiled issues of national disaster preparedness, socioeconomic status and race. NEW ORLEANS-Hurricane Katrina is acknowledged to be one of the worst natural disasters to ever strike the United States.
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