As Water Recedes, There Will Likely Be Second Wave of Suffering

Sept. 15, 2005 — -- Two weeks after Hurricane Katrina forced people to abandon their homes, their belongings and their communities, the trauma and shock of the natural disaster may lead to a second wave of suffering.

As the water recedes, mental health experts believe that up to 20 percent of the 1 million evacuees will suffer psychological effects, and that doesn't count those already suffering from mental illness.

The loss of loved ones, property and safety, on top of dislocation, can cause great distress to children and adults alike. Normal reactions to trauma include shock, fear, sadness, anger, difficulty sleeping and even aggressive behavior, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, which has studied the reactions of people following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Oklahoma City bombing, wars in the Middle East and natural disasters.

"Most people after a period of adjustment will recover, but a small portion of people will have lasting effects," said Dr. Liza Suarez, clinical assistant professor at the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University. Ongoing difficulties can range from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (characterized by re-experiencing the trauma) to violence. Suarez, along with many colleagues around the country, organized teams of mental health professionals to dispatch their services at base camps and shelters for evacuees.

The focus now should be comfort and stability, experts say, adding that more harm than good will come from forcing people to confront what they've seen and experienced.

"If you get in trauma and your nerves are on edge, reliving it is like adding fuel on a flame," said Dr. Gene Beresin, co-director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health. "You want to provide comfort, reassurance and calm people down before you help people take stock."

So far, the Red Cross has given more than 100,000 hurricane survivors a mental health screening to ascertain if they need psychiatric help and/or medication.