Hurricane Katrina Saw Fall In Suicide Rate But Rise In Serious Mental Illness Rate

The rate of serious mental illness doubled as a result of the Katrina hurricane, say researchers from the Hurricane Katrina Community Advisory Group Survey, led by Harvard Medical School. However, fewer people felt compelled to commit suicide, because people bonded during and after the disaster. The National Institute of Mental Health funded the study. The Katrina Hurricane killed approximately 1,600 people and severely disrupted the lives of 2 million families.


The survey found that:


-- Of 1,043 survivors surveyed, 11.3% were diagnosed with a serious mental illness long after the hurricane. This compares to 6.1% before the hurricane. 19.9% had mild-moderate mental illness, compared to 9.7% before the hurricane.


-- There are probably around 200,000 people facing serious mental illnesses, such as PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) and depression, in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.


-- 50% of Mississippi survivors experience nightmares


-- 85% of survivors experienced devastating financial losses


-- Over 30% of survivors suffered physically in a serious way



When referring to a drop in the suicide rate, B. Kessler, Harvard Medical School, said "We found an extraordinarily high proportion of our sample who said that despite the understandable sadness with all they lost and the understandable anxieties about the future - that they felt closer to their loved ones, they felt connected to the community in a way they didn't before. They felt much more religious, they felt that they had a purpose in their life and a meaning."


The 1,043 Katrina Hurricane survivors were compared to a similar sized group in the same area in 2001-2003. The current Katrina survivors will be monitored over the next seven years.


The researchers also found that 6% of high-income people remained at home during the storm, compared to 40% of low-income people.


Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest hurricane in the US for seventy years. It was also the most expensive natural disaster in the country's history. Over half-a-million people were evacuated. Almost 90,000 square miles were declared a disaster area - equivalent in size to the whole of the UK. There are still 100 people missing.


Mental illness and suicidality after hurricane Katrina

Ronald C. Kessler, Sandro Galea, Russell T. Jones, & Holly A. Parker on behalf of the Hurricane Katrina Community Advisory Group

WHO Bulletin - doi:10.2471/BLT.06.033019

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