CNN (8/2, Christensen ) reported exposure to wildfires “can increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance use disorders, and sleep problems, as well as mental health problems that could last years.” A study published in PLOS Climate on Friday that focused on California residents “said about half of the 24,000 Californians researchers spoke with had been affected by a climate event like a wildfire or flood, and of those, nearly 23% reported that their mental health was harmed.” People in rural areas were also “more likely to report that a climate event has had a negative impact on their mental health, in addition to people who were White, college-educated or female.” Dr. Steven Sugden, a member of the American Psychiatric Association’s committee for disaster psychiatry, emphasized the detriment of repeated exposure to natural disasters, stating, “If people have lived through those experiences before, then with each subsequent year, there are just more triggers.”
Related Links:
— “Repeated wildfires put pressure on residents, making it difficult to recover peace of mind,”Jen Christensen, CNN, August 2, 2024