Hurricane Katrina—which made landfall in Louisiana in August 2005—is among the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States, devastating communities across the Gulf Coast and forcing more than 1.5 million residents to evacuate their homes.
Hurricane Katrina—which made landfall in Louisiana in August 2005—is among the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States, devastating communities across the Gulf Coast and forcing more than 1.5 million residents to evacuate their homes.
It’s well established that the destruction and grief caused by hurricanes and other natural disasters can harm mental health in the short -term. A new analysis co-authored by NYU School of Global Public Health’s Jonathan Purtle found that suicides and drug overdoses spiked among local residents right after the Maui wildfires, and other studies have shown an uptick in psychiatric medications prescribed to Californians in the six weeks after nearby wildfires.
But what happens after the cameras leave and federal assistance and recovery programs end? And why is it that some people can recover quickly after a disaster, while others struggle for years?
Read more at: New York University
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