Though Wildfires Are Long Extinguished, Emotional Devastation Left In Their Wake Lingers Still
Residents report "uncontrollable flashbacks" and other psychological trauma from the fires that burned in the fall.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
‘Uncontrollable Flashbacks’: Mental Anguish Remains 6 Months After Fires
Across the North Bay, tens of thousands of other residents continue to experience the trauma caused by last October’s North Bay wildfires. The psychological and emotional impact is widespread, with some experiencing various mental health symptoms more severely than others, usually depending on how closely they were impacted by the fire, according to mental health experts. Last week, Press Democrat readers were asked to describe the emotional and psychological impact the fires have had on them in the past six months. Responding through emails, phone calls and on The Press Democrat’s website, local residents spoke of “uncontrollable flashbacks” triggered by the smallest things — a siren, an alarm or an orange glow in the fog. (Espinoza, 4/8)
In other public health news —
KQED:
Trauma Surgeon Who Treated YouTube Victims: 'Every Day There Are People Who Are Getting Shot And Hurt'
Gun violence clamored for our attention again earlier this week, when a woman shot three people and then killed herself Tuesday at the YouTube headquarters in San Bruno. ...[Andre] Campbell surfaced from the emergency room to talk to the press on Tuesday afternoon, emphasizing that gun violence happens daily in the Bay Area and across the United States, whether a scrum of reporters is there to cover it or not. (Klivans, 4/6)
KPCC:
LA County Launches New Plan To Give Black Babies A Better Chance At Life
In Los Angeles County, black babies are more than three times more likely than white babies to die in the first year of life. ...On Friday, the county announced an action plan to reduce that disparity by 30 percent in the next five years by averting the chronic stress that contributes to poor birth outcomes. (Neely, 4/6)