Study finds wildfires are associated with increased mental health problems in nearby residents

(CNN) — Public health leaders try to help people evacuate from massive wildfires texas panhandle New research suggests that close attention needs to be paid not only to residents' physical safety, but also to their mental health.

Although wildfires clearly pose a direct threat to physical health, the study A study of more than 7 million people who lived near California's massive wildfires found that the fires were also associated with major social changes. mental health.

The study, published this week in the journal JAMA Network Open, looked at increased orders for medications to manage mental health among people living near wildfires.

The people studied lived near 25 major wildfires in California between 2011 and 2018. When wildfires occurred in the area, the researchers found a statistically significant increase in the number of orders. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and anxiety-reducing drugs have increased compared to before the bushfires. The increase includes new prescriptions and refills.

But there was nothing An increase in the number of prescriptions for antipsychotics and hypnotics.

The study showed that most of the increase in prescriptions was for women and the elderly.

To confirm that this trend was related to need and not just a spike in people receiving the drug, the researchers also looked at the number of prescriptions for statins, drugs that help heart health. They did not increase when wildfires were nearby.

This study has some limitations. It relies on recording commercial insurance claims data, which means it can only track trends among people who have insurance. People who live in rural areas, which are more exposed to wildfires, have traditionally been underserved when it comes to mental health care, and these numbers are not captured in prescription data, so in reality, post-wildfire The need for mental health treatment may further increase.

Other studies have found an increased risk of anxiety and depression in people exposed to high concentrations of the substance. particle pollution or soot, and wildfires have serious consequences amount of soot.

“The strength of this study is that we can observe waves not only before a fire, but also after a fire,” said Dr. Jyoti Mishra. co-director from the University of California Climate Change and Mental Health Initiative and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. “Typically, a lot of research on mental distress from wildfires is done primarily after a disaster. We gather people together before a disaster occurs and study how their mental health and other symptoms change over time. It's difficult to find out if it does.”

Mishra was not involved in the new study, but she was not involved in her own research. 2023 survey The number of people living near California's Camp Fire showed an increase. Mental health problems, some of which became chronic.

“This latest research is important because it confirms the great distress people are feeling in bushfire situations,” she said.

it is common Feelings of shock, depression, and hopelessness when losing a home or family member for any reason.but the study Wildfires are also proof. can be increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder and even sleep problems People who have not previously received treatment for mental health problems. Exposure to wildfires is associated with increases in alcohol and drug use disorders, as well as anxiety and depression.

The climate crisis is probably expose more adult and the children To a forest fire. In 2020 alone, the United States lost 8 million acres of land to wildfires, and the number of fires is increasing significantly while the population appears to be approaching high risk. region.

The authors of the new study say: This will ensure that public health officials prioritize mental health care for people exposed to wildfires and have access to mental health services and programs that promote resilience before, during, and after disasters. I'm looking forward to it.

access, but mental health care Mishra said the immediate aftermath of a bushfire is critical and communities may need support for years. Some studies have found that even mental health may be affected. Ten years later.

“You might imagine that once the smoke clears up, the problem would go away, but that's not necessarily the case,” she says. “It has the potential to become a long-term trauma, so it needs to be treated seriously.”

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