Sandy’s Path – Credit Wikipedia
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As a former medic, I can tell you that no one comes out of a major disaster unscathed. Some people are more adept than others at covering up the effects, but that doesn't mean they aren't affected.
Unfortunately, with our short attention span and the never-ending parade of dramatic news being live-streamed to us via the Internet, TV, and other media, we often lose track of a disaster hit community’s struggles to rebuild once the cameras move on.
While a storm may last less than 24 hours, the rebuilding of lives, families, and businesses can sometimes take years. For many, life never goes back to the way it was before the disaster.
We are coming up to the one-year anniversary of Super-storm Sandy’s onslaught on the eastern seaboard, with the coastal areas of New Jersey being particularly hard hit.
In terms of dollar losses, Sandy ranks second among Altantic hurricanes (65 billion), exceeded only by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. But the damage left behind extends far beyond monetary losses.
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is increasingly recognized as a serious factor in the wake of any traumatic event, and early recognition and treatment can be invaluable in reducing its impact (see WHO: Guidelines For Post-Trauma Mental Health Care). Symptoms may include anxiety, depression, suicide and PTSD may even lead to drug and alcohol-related disorders.
Victims of personal violence, rescue and medical workers, victims of disasters, terrorism, physical or psychological trauma, and/or a combat zone are all at risk of suffering some level of PTSD. Sadly, not everyone who could benefit from psychological first aid or post-disaster counseling, seeks it out, or receives it.
We’ve looked at other post-disaster health impacts in the past, such as in Post Disaster Stress & Suicide Rates. One disaster discussed was a 1999 7.3 earthquake that struck in Chi-Chi, Nantou county in central Taiwan killing more than 2,300 people.
A study that subsequently appeared in the Taiwan Journal of Medicine (Disease-specific Mortality Associated with Earthquake in Taiwan Hsien-Wen Kuo, Shu-Jen Wu, Ming-Chu Chiu) found `a considerable increase in the number of suicides after the earthquake’.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, which surveyed 1,043 survivors, found:
- More than 11% were diagnosed with a serious mental illness following the storm. This compares to just over 6% before the hurricane.
- 9.9% had mild-moderate mental illness, compared to 9.7% before Katrina.
- They estimated 200,000 people facing serious mental problems, such as PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) and depression, in the three states most affected.
All of which serves as prelude to a story that appears today on http://www.njspotlight.com/ , which looks at the long term effects from Hurricane Sandy on the residents of New Jersey.
Sandy Survivors Still Bear Emotional Scars of Their Ordeal
Andrew Kitchenman | October 21, 2013
Mental-health experts report many NJ residents still hesitant to seek support
Among those taking part in forum on mental-health issues related to Hurricane Sandy were Carolyn Beauchamp, president of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey; Dr. John R. Lumpkin, director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s healthcare group; Faith Liguori, a Seaside Park resident who lost her home to the storm; and Mayor Matt Doherty of Belmar.
For many survivors of Hurricane Sandy, emotional well-being remains as much a work in progress as the construction sites and vacant homes scattered across the New Jersey landscape.
Mental health professionals say it's as urgent for Sandy victims to seek help now as it was nearly 12 months ago, when the storm forever altered their lives.
Counselors are reporting that many marriages that survived the first several months after Sandy are breaking up as the one-year anniversary approaches, according to Carol Benevy, the project lead for New Jersey Hope and Healing
The entire report is well worth reading.
The Mental Health Association of New Jersey is working to provide badly needed emotional support to those affected by this disaster, offering both hope and healing.
Obviously, the impact and the response to Hurricane Sandy extends far beyond just the state of New Jersey. The Mental Health Association for New York City offers post-Sandy counseling services, as do many other affected states and municipalities.
While there is much variability in the levels of stress created by different disasters (exacerbated by both the severity and duration), cultural attitudes towards suicide, and in the effectiveness of individual coping skills, there seems little doubt that major disasters can cause both temporary and long-term mental health problems.
The CDC’s website contains a number of resources devoted to coping with disasters.
Coping With a Disaster or Traumatic Event
Trauma and Disaster Mental Health Resources
The effects of a disaster, terrorist attack, or other public health emergency can be long-lasting, and the resulting trauma can reverberate even with those not directly affected by the disaster. This page provides general strategies for promoting mental health and resilience. These strategies were developed by various organizations based on experiences in prior disasters.
Information for Individuals & Families
- Coping with Traumatic Events
Provides general information regarding common reactions to expect after disasters.- Video: Coping with a Traumatic Event
- Preventing Violence after a Natural Disaster
- Tips for Talking about Disasters
Provides information that can be used by teachers, children, adults, families and response workers.- Maintain a Healthy State of Mind
Developed in partnership with the American Red Cross this site provides information for parents and caregivers, middle school students, high school students, adults and seniors.- Helping Families Deal With the Stress of Relocation After a Disaster
Helping family members deal with relocation stress from ATSDR.- Helping Parents Prepare for a Disaster
- Helping Parents Cope with a Disaster
And from the National Center For PTSD, you’ll find abundant resources - including videos - on how to provide Psychological First Aid.
Lastly, while the psychological impact of a major disaster cannot be fully prevented, individual, family, and business preparedness can go a long ways towards reducing the impact of any disaster.
Those that follow FEMA’s, and Ready.gov’s advice to Have A Plan, Make A Kit, and Be informed will be better equipped to deal with any eventuality.
September is National Preparedness Month, but being ready to deal with an emergency – large or small – should be a year-round endeavor.
A couple of my (many) blogs on that subject include:
In An Emergency, Who Has Your Back? An Appropriate Level Of Preparedness
