Storms still wreak havoc on La. health

• By JOE GYAN JR.
• Advocate New Orleans bureau
• Published: Apr 30, 2008 - Page: 11A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — Hurricanes Katrina and Rita continue to affect the health, particularly the mental health, of Louisianians more than 2 1/2 years after the storms ravaged the southern part of the state, according to the results of a new survey released Tuesday.

Louisiana residents cited mental-health symptoms such as increased anxiety, stress and depression ahead of the destruction of their homes and properties when asked in what ways did the hurricanes impact their own health or the health of people in their community.

“We haven’t seen this type of chronic stress — certainly during my career — ever,’’ Dr. Neil Boris, clinical assistant professor at Tulane University School of Medicine, said at a forum on mental and public health in Louisiana.

“I’m seeing a lot of very stressed families with few resources,’’ he added. “There’s a lot of work to be done.’’

The poll results were unveiled at the forum, which was convened by Research!America, Pfizer, Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the LSU Health Sciences Center.

Dr. Howard Osofsky, chairman of psychiatry at LSUHSC, said more patients are reporting alcohol use and marital problems since the 2005 storms, and more and more grade school and high school students have asked for clinical counseling.

“We’re not finding people say, ‘No, we don’t need services,’’’ he said.

Charlton Research Co. conducted the statewide telephone poll of 800 Louisiana adults from April 9-16. The survey was conducted for Research!America. Nine out of 10 of those taking part in the poll were living in Louisiana or the Gulf Coast region when the hurricanes hit. More than half currently live in the state’s coastal parishes. The survey had a margin of error of 3.5 percent.

The poll revealed, among other things, that:

• More than half of the respondents said the hurricanes had an effect on the mental health of people living in their neighborhood or community.
• Nearly 60 percent said there are not enough resources, such as specialized health care and medicines, in their community today for people who need mental health services.
• Nearly 90 percent said their own physical health and mental health are equally important and that the two are linked, but only 30 percent said the health-care system treats physical and mental health with equal importance. More than 55 percent said physical health is treated with greater importance.
• Nearly 85 percent said it is very important for Louisiana to be a leader in medical and health research, but only a third felt strongly that the state is a leader in those fields.
• More than a third said access to doctors or other health-care professionals is getting better, more than 40 percent said it is the same, and 20 percent said it is getting worse. When it comes to access to mental-health services such as counseling, the numbers were slightly less optimistic.
• About 70 percent said those who survived the storms have developed new skills for coping with disaster.
• Nearly 70 percent said people generally feel ashamed or embarrassed if they are dealing with a mental health or psychological problem.
  

While Louisianians still are experiencing mental-health challenges related to the hurricanes, he said, “People don’t want to acknowledge, ‘OK, I need counseling.’’’

Dr. Corey Hebert, vice chairman of the National Health Service Corps’ National Executive Committee and assistant professor of pediatrics at Tulane University Medical Center, said there is a “perceived wellness’’ among southern Louisianians.

“It’s been a long ride for us here,’’ he said.