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Dr. Jyoti Mishra knows firsthand how stressful wildfires can be. The associate Director He works for the UC Climate Change and Mental Health Council and an associate professor at the University of California, San Diego. The city is currently not showing. Wild fireBut her LA-based family fled her home.
“All of our family from LA is here with us, and we're glad they did,” Mishra said Thursday. “Hopefully they're home safe there, but we don't know yet.”
Uncertainty about losing a home or neighborhood is one of the factors contributing to the increase in mental health problems among people who experience wildfires, according to research.
Mishra Research on the 2018 campfire People personally affected by wildfires in Northern California are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder than members of communities not exposed to the fires.
“It can also make you feel cognitively affected,” says Mishra. “Our work has shown that it's hard to focus on a single thing when you feel threatened by everything around you.”
This means hundreds of thousands of people, some of whom are under evacuation orders or warnings. Very bad wildfire In the history of Los Angeles, they face threats not only to their physical safety, but also to their mental health – not only after the fire is over. Mishra Studies have also shown. Some people experience problems for months or even years after a wildfire.
In recent times, Many studies They got itWildfires can destabilize and cause people to feel anxious and feel anger, sadness, panic, depression and frustration. People can also lose. AppetiteYou have a problem lay off Or they have nightmares, and they can return to them Medicines Or alcohol to self-heal, studies show.
Depression, anxiety and trauma can affect many people long-term, even if they have never been such a mental health threat before, and studies show that Post-traumatic stress disorder It can last up to three months decade Wildfire past.
It's not just the uncertainty of knowing what's going on around you. According to Dr. Yang Liu, it is the smoke itself. chair Environmental Health at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health.
His 2024 study showed an association between emergency room visits for anxiety disorders and wildfire smoke exposure. The impact is most pronounced on women, girls and the elderly, and major smog events highlight this risk.
“Inhaling too much smoke can cause anxiety disorders. LA's air quality levels are 10 to 20 times higher than the national center, so it's a severe smog event for the entire Southern California region. Certainly the LA metro region is inundated with heavy smog,” Liu said.
People should stay away from smoke as much as possible to protect their physical and mental health, he said.
“People should take precautions and close windows, avoid outdoor activities, and if they have a HEPA filter or independent air filter in their A/C system, turn it on,” Liu said.
Adults aren't the only ones who need to be careful. Although children may be stronger, Cedars-Sinai's son and adolescent psychiatrist According to Dr. Sabrina Renteria, they may feel more helpful when a wildfire breaks out in their area.
Renteria said the fire did not reach where she lives in Marina del Rey, but her home was losing power from the strong winds and the Cedars-Sinai emergency room, where she works, often sees children with mental health issues during wildfires.
“We fully expect this to make a big difference in mental health issues for children,” Renteria said.
Children are sensitive, she said, and can sense when something is wrong, so adults should help them cope by being honest about what's going on and talking about their feelings.
I think it's about being honest with your child, saying, “Yeah, I'm really sad today.” Or you can explain and give examples, saying, 'There are a lot of things around us that are worrying me,' but you can talk to them about how to deal with it,” Renteria said.
Both children and adults should seek professional help if feelings such as anxiety or depression persist.
Renteria said it's important to get children back to their normal activities, school and friends as quickly as possible.
“Just to have that sense of stability, because children can be easily calmed down when their actions are sporadic,” she said.
Teenagers and children often imitate their parents and loved ones, “so if you're going through a tragedy, it's important to practice and demonstrate good coping skills,” Renteria said. “So it's important for parents to take care of themselves.”
Something as simple as listening to music can naturally help the body's stress, she said; So is deep breathing practice.
“It helps reduce your body's natural stress response and stimulate the vagus nerve, and it calms your entire body,” Renteria says.
Mishra recommends. The practice of thinking. She said that being focused and present and not letting the trauma of the past enter the present can help heal the brain.
Renteria suggests that volunteering to help people in the community can be healing. Talking to other people who have experienced the wildfires can help children and adults understand their feelings and find common ground in their experiences, but it's important to know how to respond.
“When you're dealing with other people, it shouldn't be all doom and gloom, especially in front of your child. “For teachers, children take advice from their elders,” she said.
Children and adults should decide how much news and social media they see. Adults can watch news reports and then talk about them before watching them with their children. You may want to use the stories as an opportunity to highlight the good work that first responders and volunteers are doing.
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“Often, for disasters like this, we put them in this doom and gloom framework, but we need to shift that to a living and thriving framework, where we're only one planet and if that's the case, Mishra, we can all work together, we can do better things.”
She said that people should be careful not to isolate themselves in case of wildfire. Those with strong family ties and community support are more resilient, her research says.
“There is a need for collective healing,” Mishra said.
People watching wildfires from afar should remember friends and family in California.
“Definitely reach out to others,” Mishra said.
There are also ways to meet the basic needs of people who fled their homes quickly without food or money. Contribute directly.
“Just to get through each day and focus on rebuilding instead of worrying about where you're going to have dinner today,” Mishra said. “These are the little things we can all understand. It can happen to any of us one day.