The devastation attributable to Hurricane Ian could have reverberating results on our state for years. Information tales and movies of our communities wracked by loss of life and destruction are seen internationally alongside persevering with tales about occasions just like the conflict in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic.
Florida has been a state in mourning, combating a psychological well being disaster fueled largely by a relentless opioid epidemic that has taken its toll on our communities and our collective psyche.
Hurricane Ian added a brand new layer of distress in elements of our state, impacting well being care services throughout Florida and making it tough for medically susceptible folks to get care they want.
The storm’s aftermath contains lingering hurt to many Floridians’ psychological well being. Many who lived by means of the storm or have been not directly impacted, are experiencing trauma responses to deal with losses. These responses embrace shock, melancholy, grief and signs of post-traumatic stress dysfunction.
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Emotions of hopelessness, exhaustion and bodily well being signs are frequent responses that include the influence of such pure disasters. These struggling psychological well being impacts can seem numb and impassive. They’ll have nightmares and endure from anxiousness and agitation.
Florida ranks second within the nation when it comes to each the prevalence of psychological sickness and within the variety of our residents dying from drug overdoses. We’re ranked forty ninth nationally in entry to psychological well being care, based on the 2022 State of Psychological Well being in America report.
These bleak statistics, mixed with the impacts of Hurricane Ian, are why Florida’s psychological well being professionals are applauding the latest announcement that federal authorities allotted greater than $314 million to assist prepare and place psychological well being counselors in disaster models and colleges. This comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis final spring allotted greater than $120 million in new, recurring income for group psychological well being and substance abuse providers.
Whereas our state and federal leaders have acknowledged the psychological well being disaster Florida faces, these complicated and multi-layered points is not going to be resolved shortly. We should proceed to deal with decreasing the stigma round asking for assist, constructing a secure and sustainable behavioral well being workforce and leveraging innovation and expertise to handle collective particular person and group trauma.
Dr. Christine Cauffield, CEO, LSF Well being Programs, Jacksonville
This visitor column is the opinion of the writer and doesn’t essentially symbolize the views of the Instances-Union. We welcome a range of opinions.
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