Louisiana Residents Still Face Mental Health Issues; Many Will Not Admit to Needing Help, Survey Finds

More than two-and-a-half years after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, some Louisiana residents still experience negative health effects related to the storms, particularly mental health problems, according to a report released on Tuesday, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports (Gyan, Baton Rouge Advocate, 4/30). The findings were released at a forum cosponsored by the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (Tulane University release, 4/29). For the report, researchers conducted a telephone survey of 800 Louisiana adults from April 9 to 16. Nine out of 10 respondents were living in the state or along the Gulf Coast at the time of the hurricanes (Baton Rouge Advocate, 4/30).

The survey found that 41% percent of respondents said the storms had a significant impact on their mental health but did not believe they needed counseling. The survey also found that:

• Two-thirds of respondents in coastal parishes said the hurricanes affected the mental health of their community (Hammer, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 4/30);
  
  
• About 60% said there are few specialized health care services and medicines available for mental health care;
  
  
• Nearly 90% said their mental health is just as important as their physical health, and 30% said the current health care system treats the conditions equally;
  
  
• More than 55% said the health care system gives physical health more importance;
  
  
• About one-third said there have been improvements in access to health care professionals in the area, 40% said the access has remained the same and 20% reported access worsening;
  
  
• Almost 70% said in general residents feel ashamed or embarrassed about mental health problems (Baton Rouge Advocate, 4/30); and
  
  
• 38% said the hurricanes did not have a significant effect on their mental health.