Mental health concerns in aftermath of Puerto Rico hurricane [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Michael Melia and Danica Coto, Associated Press
 Updated 4:52 am, Thursday, October 5, 2017

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Locked out of his home and with nowhere else to go, Wilfredo Ortiz Marrero rode out Hurricane Maria inside a Jeep, which was lifted off its wheels by floodwaters in the parking lot. He then endured days without enough food or running water.

The lights are back on at his residence for low-income elderly people in the San Juan suburb of Trujillo Alto, and food has started arriving, but he still waits as long as he can each night to leave the company of others in the lobby. Alone in his room, he sometimes starts to shake.
 
. . .

The hurricane that pummeled Puerto Rico two weeks ago and the scarcity-marked aftermath are taking a toll on islanders' equilibrium. The U.S. territory's government counted two suicides among the death toll, which now stands at 34, and with many communities still waiting for power and clean water, there is concern about others reaching a breaking point.

. . .

The count also includes sick and elderly who died in the aftermath of the hurricane, including some who died because oxygen could not be delivered amid power outages. There were also two suicides, but Rossello did not provide details of those.

More:
http://www.chron.com/news/medical/article/Mental-health-concerns-in-aftermath-of-Puerto-12254569.php