Puerto Ricans Have Been Committing Suicide Nearly Every Day After Hurricane Maria, Report Shows
Source: Newsweek Magazine
PUERTO RICANS HAVE BEEN COMMITTING SUICIDE NEARLY EVERY DAY AFTER HURRICANE MARIA, A NEW REPORT SHOWS
BY MARIA PEREZ ON 1/13/18 AT 8:00 AM
The rate of suicide increased to nearly a suicide a day in Puerto Rico in November, according to a recent report released by The Commission for the Prevention of Suicide. At least 227 people committed suicide on the island last year, a 16 percent increase compared to 2016, according to the report released Tuesday from the commission, which is part of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico.
After Hurricane Maria, 26 people took their own lives in November, or nearly one person a day. The suicide report also found that 85 percent of suicides are committed by men, and 14 percent are committed by women. Many health specialists and doctors said the spike in suicides can be linked to the aftermath of the storm that struck the island on September 20 and the destruction of basic resources like food, water, electricity and housing.
If someone is in a position where they do not have any electricity, water or a roof over their head, youre going to either break and sometimes break to the point of committing suicide, said Alicia Schwartz, a home care nurse from New York City, who volunteered in Puerto Rico through the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union after Maria hit the island.You can only live so much without the simple necessities of having a roof over your head.
Dr. Kenira Thompson, who is in charge of providing mental health services at the Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, said she has seen a rise in patients since the storm. A lot of patients are presenting severe mental health issues since the storm and the number of patients in our clinic has increased dramatically, said Thompson. Not one person that has lived through the storm can't say they werent touched by what happened."
Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/puerto-rico-mental-health-hurricane-maria-us-780062
hlthe2b
(102,262 posts)Eliot Rosewater
(31,109 posts)Solly Mack
(90,765 posts)n2doc
(47,953 posts)Add them to the list.
Soul-crushing news.
jmowreader
(50,557 posts)Guarding the inevitable statues of Donald Trump. Unguarded, the temptation to replace the hands with smaller ones that are painted red will be overwhelming.
Marthe48
(16,950 posts)I didn't get a response. I'd be glad to have a young mother with 1 or 2 children, or an older lady come and stay with me, until their home is repaired, other things improve. But got no response.
We hosted 6 exchange students over the years, and would be glad to shelter someone. My house isn't large, but it is big enough to share.
bluestarone
(16,939 posts)the less voters against them in 2018!!!
Motley13
(3,867 posts)neglected by their own govt. Tragic.
riversedge
(70,214 posts)"Puerto Ricans have always felt that as a people when they are in a crisis, the American government will be there to help us. That has not happened. The response has been slow and terrible, and since [Hurricane Maria], we have felt alone and abandoned," said Carrasquillo.
Its not just suicide. Locals are also dealing with other mental health issues, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Thompson said clinics like the one in Ponce are doing the best they can to provide mental health assistance for those that come forward, and are also helping them mentally prepare for the next hurricane season, which begins in June.
Mental health issues will not stop, if you think about the next hurricane season will start again in six months. We will have chaos when the first storm is announced on the news. Hopefully, it's not another storm like Maria, said Thompson.
Stuart G
(38,421 posts)Judi Lynn
(160,527 posts)he let them see they were indeed going to be forgotten forever, although they ARE going to be expected to pay taxes to the US government.
True_Blue
(3,063 posts)Trump should be impeached for this. Americans have died and are still dying because this cruel pResident refuses to help them.