(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Two years later, the ravages of Hurricane Katrina are still seen, not just in destroyed property, but also in the minds of the storm’s victims. Harvard researchers are reporting mental illnesses are on the rise in people who lived in the areas hit by Katrina.

Normally, the prevalence of mental disorders decreases as time passes after a disaster. Researchers conclude Katrina victims may be different because the problems caused by the storm continue today; hundreds of thousands of people are still displaced and cannot return home, and many schools and businesses remain closed.
 

Researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston surveyed more than 1,000 hurricane survivors a few months after the storm and again for the new report and found:

· Seven percent of respondents reported experiencing a seriously traumatic event, and 18.7 percent reported a traumatic event, including death, occurred to someone close to them.

· Most of the respondents -- 84.6 percent -- experienced a significant financial, income, or housing loss

· The prevalence suicidality a few months after the storm was low, despite high rates of anxiety and depression

· The prevalence of suicidality was significantly higher in the follow-up survey, with 6.4 of the respondents reporting suicidal thoughts, up from 2.8 percent, and 0.8 percent of the respondents reporting suicide plans, up from 0.2 percent.

The researchers conclude by stressing the importance of getting adequate mental health care to all of the Hurricane Katrina victums.

SOURCE: Molecular Psychiatry, 2007