Katrina Survivors Getting Chance To Aid In Recovery

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL): Harvard Medical School plans to ask a large group of Hurricane Katrina survivors to provide ongoing feedback to policymakers directing the Gulf Coast recovery effort. The ambitious effort, known as the Hurricane Katrina Community Advisory Group Initiative, is to begin next week. "What we're asking survivors is `You tell us what's important. You tell us what would make the most difference in your lives, and what policymakers' priorities should be,'" said Dr. Ronald Kessler, a professor of health care policy at Harvard who is directing the initiative. Some 2,000 hurricane survivors are being recruited for the study, which will last at least two years and involve regular updates every three months. Half will come from the New Orleans area; the rest will represent other regions affected by the storm. The mental and physical health of hurricane survivors will be a major focus. Recent reports indicate that suicides, anxiety and substance abuse may be on the rise as survivors find themselves unable to adapt to the extent of their losses and ongoing uncertainties about how to reconstruct their lives. If anything, "the level of anxiety is increasing, not decreasing," said Anthony Speier, director of disaster mental health operations for Louisiana's Office of Mental Health. In a reverse of typical academic procedures, results will be posted on the Internet as soon as they become available. Publication in academic journals will follow later. The first set of findings is expected by the end of February.