Katrina victims more prone to PTSD

The ravaged land that Hurricane Katrina left in its wake is doing more damage to the citizens of the gulf coast region far beyond the monetary losses the disaster created.

In fact, residents of New Orleans are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at a rate that is 10 times the amount which occurs in the general population, according to a new study.

This is to be expected. Hurricane Katrina was a life-changing event for almost everyone that was directly affected by it. It also points out that long-term, coordinated mental health care should be a central tenet included in disaster relief.