PTSD and Suicide After Natural Disasters

by César A. Alfonso, MD

Everyone in Puerto Rico (PR) was affected by Hurricane Maria, which made landfall on September 20, 2017 as the largest scale natural disaster in the US during our lifetime. Many months later, Puerto Ricans continue to face unreasonable obstacles that prevent recovery. This article summarizes literature on post-disaster mental health and describes the public health crisis in PR. Special attention is given to highlight higher suicide rates and PTSD that develop in post-disaster areas.

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