Amid concern for the collective trauma experienced by fire survivors in Lahaina and Upcountry, a cash infusion from Washington is on its way to Maui to bolster emergency mental health services.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz announced Wednesday that $17.3 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is earmarked to help Maui fire survivors.
“The people of Maui have experienced so much loss, trauma, and grief, and addressing the mental health toll is just as important as dealing with the physical damage,” Schatz said in a news release.
More than 7,000 people were displaced and at least 98 people died as a result of the Aug. 8 blaze, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
While the risk of increased suicide rates on Maui might be expected and has been the subject of much speculation on island, so far there is no official indication that more people are taking their own lives.
The Maui Police Department said that since Aug. 8, there’s been only one confirmed report of a suicide, which happened Sept. 14. And spokeswoman Alana Pico said that unattended death was not related to the August wildfires.
“Currently, the Maui Police Department is not investigating any potential or suspected suicide deaths related to the wildfires,” she said by email.
The Hawaii Department of Health, which will administer the mental health funds, said Wednesday that there has been no apparent increase in Maui’s rate of suicide or suicide attempts following the August wildfires.
State health officials said in a statement that DOH staff reviewed emergency medical services and provisional Electronic Death Records System data and concluded that incidents of self-harm documented in those sources were consistent with previous years for the island of Maui.
DOH says the behavioral health impact of the Maui wildfires is expected to be significant and long-lasting, and that the department continues to ensure that accessible community mental health services are available. State health officials also expect behavioral health needs to continue to grow as the community grieves.
The emergency funding announced Wednesday will provide mental health services for families, community organizations and schools. It will also expand Hawaii’s behavioral health workforce and deliver substance use treatment that is culturally informed.
The funding is four times the amount Hawaii received from SAMHSA in 2022 to support comprehensive community mental health services, according to Schatz.
Studies have demonstrated that victims of natural disasters often experience mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, aggression and increased risk of suicide.
Research by the National Institutes of Health concluded that suicide rates increase after severe natural disasters including earthquakes, floods and hurricanes.
Other research indicates that suicide rates increase most dramatically in the second year after a disaster when emergency mental health services are no longer in place.
Women, teens, elders, people with pre-existing mental health disorders, and others with few social supports are often the most psychologically vulnerable after a disaster.
About one-third to one-half of people affected by a natural disaster experience mental health problems and substance use disorders, according to a 2020 study by the University of Delaware. Severe cases increase the risk of suicide if untreated.
“If people have access to treatment for anxiety and depression and PTSD following a disaster, as much as they need and for as long as they need, then we should not see the rates of suicide that we’re seeing in the subsequent years following the disaster,” lead author and epidemiologist Jennifer Horney said in an article in science magazine Eos.
A recent report from the University of Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization indicated that the mental health of Maui fire survivors will be one of the most significant impacts of the disaster.
Research conducted in the aftermath of California’s 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise, as well as other major wildfires, found a spike in post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety disorders among survivors both right after the disaster and often years later, according to UHERO.
State epidemiologist Daniel Galanis said his office is closely tracking data from emergency services personnel as well as death certificates. So far, the numbers do not show any spike in suicides, he said.
Hawaii has one of the lowest suicide rates in the nation. Despite that, suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people in the state.
Source : CivilBeat
