Sadness, breakdown... Hawaii wildfires may cause long-term psychological trauma to residents. Wildfires | psychological | trauma
On August 22, according to the National Public Broadcasting Corporation, the wildfire on Maui Island in Hawaii may cause long-term psychological trauma to local residents.
According to reports, the scenes from the fire and news of the deaths of family and friends may bring psychological pain to survivors. John Oliver, the chief mental health administrator of Maui, said that he once treated a 5-year-old girl who said to him, "I am very sad because I have seen many corpses."
The girl's mother told Oliver that her best friend passed away in the wildfire, and the little girl missed her friend very much.
According to reports, consulting doctors classify individuals with early psychological trauma after disasters and provide psychological assistance based on the different symptoms of the traumatized population. The symptoms of the injured person vary, and they may experience deep sadness, insomnia, exhaustion, or even collapse.
Local social worker Scott said, "There is a heavy feeling in the air - we are destroyed." Scott said that for some people who have had to escape the fire, the initial shock is slowly transitioning to painful anxiety, nightmares, depression, and anger, depending on the degree of trauma.
Although survivors still face other material challenges, such as temporary loss of shelter, emotional and psychological trauma continues to manifest and grow, and the demand for related treatments is also increasing. Oliver referred to this as "the worst mental health disaster in modern history of our state.".
According to reports, hundreds of people are still missing, adding to people's sadness. Moreover, people may not be able to identify who their loved ones are among the victims. Some missing people may never be found.
Oliver said that officials from the state and federal governments of Hawaii are mobilizing a group of psychologists to support them, and currently there are 65 clinical practicing psychologists in the relevant areas. The Governor of Hawaii has issued an emergency order to temporarily lift the permit requirements for psychological counseling in the state.
Psychotherapist Vance said that fire survivors may be affected by psychological trauma for a long period of time.
Kurson, a senior disaster mental health manager at the American Red Cross, helped survivors deal with psychological issues after the 2018 Paradise Fire in the United States. Kurson said, "This is the most destructive trauma I have ever experienced, let alone my clients."