We are not okay.

Today the Kaiser Family Foundation released the results of a house-to-house survey of people living in Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes documents the impact of Hurricane Katrina and the failure to respond quickly and effectively to it on the economic well-being, physical and mental health, and personal lives of the people of the New Orleans area. The result: 81% of respondents have seen the quality of their lives deteriorate in at least one of seven critical aspects of their lives. More than 55% of respondents in the four-parish area and 67% of respondent in New Orleans reported problems in more than one area. The particulars:

1. 52% in the four-parish area (and 66% in Orleans) reported deterioration in their economic well-being in Katrina’s wake.
2. 37% of area residents reported severe disruption to personal life, such as being forced out of their homes for a substantial period of time or losing a loved one. [About 99% of New Orleanians were forced out of their homes for a minimum of 6 weeks.]
3. 36% reported reduced access to health care.
4. 23% reported that Katrina-related stress affected their marriages, relationships or alcohol use.
5. 19% reported that their physical health has declined.
6. 17% reported that they lost a job or had a lower-paying job than they did pre-Katrina.
7. 16% reported that their mental health deteriorated.

Me, I’ll admit to numbers 2, 3, 4 (increased alcohol use), and 7 (judging by number of visits to a psychiatrist and a therapist). And that comes from someone who’s been relatively blessed.