Traumatic effects for survivors of Hurricane Ike may take years to appear

The Austin, Texas, American Statesman has a story about the potential mental health effects of a disaster like Hurricane Ike:

When the shock wears off and the immediate crisis fades, the storm might continue to haunt them, mental health experts say. Many will face depression, anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares. Some will develop drug or alcohol problems. Their relationships could disintegrate, in part because of the unresolved mental health issues triggered by Ike.

"Everyone wants to be normal," said Dr. Corey J. Hebert, a physician and trauma specialist at Tulane University Medical Center. "You think you're over it, but you're not, and it affects every other area of your life."

It's been more than a week since more than 6,000 evacuees began flooding into Austin for refuge from the storm. The more than 1,300 who remain in local shelters are still focused on concrete matters: filling out forms from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, applying for new birth records, food stamps and Social Security cards, connecting with relatives.

Doctors have spent years documenting the emotional and mental effects of disasters. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation — which focuses on national health care issues — recently released a report saying that 15 percent of New Orleans residents surveyed say they have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness such as depression, up from 5 percent in a similar study conducted by Kaiser in 2006. The number who reported taking a prescription medicine for problems with their mental health rose from 8 percent to 17 percent.

Mental health professionals expect to see the same kind of problems in
Ike survivors.