Psychological Concerns

Psychological concerns are becoming quite apparent among the population here. Most of our staff say they can’t sleep at night. Many people are still sleeping outside because they’re scared to go in — if they even have places to stay that are still standing. Aftershocks have not only frightened people — they have started to make them think there is something worse coming down the line.

The hardest thing for me is hearing from some people that they believe the earthquake was a sign from God and they somehow brought it upon themselves. There are also a lot of rumors being spread, exacerbated by a lack of clear and accurate information. If you go around town you can see the movie “2012” being sold in the streets and watched on street corners. The movie is about the destruction of the world, and many people think that this is the destiny for Haiti in the next couple of years.

The destruction that happened here is inexplicable and is nothing anyone should have ever had to experience, so I guess I understand why the population is bracing themselves for something worse. We will be hiring a psychologist/counselor to come into our health and protection programs in the next couple of weeks. I would imagine that this, coupled with the music, dance, art, and religious spirit that is so alive and well in Haiti, will help people to recover and heal from their trauma.