The scope and duration of this one mental health issue after Katrina shows that long-term, coordinated mental health response must be included in disaster relief, the researchers said.
“The incidence of PTSD in our population post-Katrina reported in this research study is noteworthy and worth following as recovery efforts move forward. The prevalence cited in this study is not alarming to those professionals caring for patients who have been traumatized by the storm and challenged by the recovery efforts,” Dr. Peter DeBlieux, director of emergency services at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, said in a prepared statement.