Under the surface, many survivors are mentally struggling right now — and they’re not alone.
“Probably the biggest thing is just for people to know that it's OK not to be OK,” said Blake Ramelb. Born and raised in Lahaina, he’s been outspoken in raising awareness about mental health support since the wildfires.
A national study found that the largest overall increases in mental health decline and suicide rates were seen two years after a disaster — a statistic Ramelb has seen first-hand.
“There's people that I've talked with that feel like it's harder now than it was maybe right after the fire, and that's just the situation we're currently in,” he said. “There's a lot of people that are not only moving away, but there's a lot of lives being lost too, and that itself is hard.”
The University of Hawaiʻi’s Maui Wildfire Exposure Study has confirmed ongoing struggles with mental health among fire survivors. Researchers and medical professionals have been collecting health data from 1,800 adults and 200 keiki since the wildfires.
They recently found that almost half of adults are still living in temporary housing, and a quarter remain unemployed despite trying to find work. And over half of adults show symptoms of depression, with about a quarter reporting moderate to severe anxiety.
“Perhaps the most alarming comes from our results from keiki,” said Dr. Alika Maunakea, professor at the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine and a lead on the exposure study.
“Over half of children ages 10 to 17 in our cohort screen positive for depression, with 1 in 5 in a severe range,” he continued. “And children may look OK on the outside, but inside, many of our keiki are still fighting invisible battles.”
Chris Knightsbridge is a doctor of psychology working in Lahaina and shared his findings at a recent news conference.
“Over 51% of kids screen positive for depression, 22% in the severe range, which means, like, you can pretty much diagnose them right then and there with major depressive disorder — they're having, like, passive or even active suicidal ideation,” Knightsbridge said. “I mean, at 10 years old, that's not normal, right?”
Maunakea said more trauma-informed care in schools is needed.
Knightsbridge has also noticed both keiki and adults often underreport their symptoms.
“The true numbers are probably even higher than what we're seeing, and this is especially the case with children,” he said.
In West Maui, Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center offers a variety of services for mental health care, along with culturally-focused Maui Medic Healers Hui and other options.
Despite available resources, many fire survivors say keeping busy is often easier than pausing to realize they need help.
Ramelb said that’s true for him, but he’s put work into finding therapy that works for him. In 2016, he survived a near-death hostage situation, leaving him with trauma triggers he’s still learning to navigate. He said addressing it prior to the fire gave him some tools to help others struggling with post-fire anxiety and trauma.
For Ramelb personally, he’s found therapy and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for post-traumatic stress — as well as getting outside — has been helpful.
But support can come in many forms.
“It's OK to, like, ask for help,” Ramelb encouraged. “And asking for help doesn't mean always, like going to see a doctor or psychiatrist or therapist. It's talking, just being open and talking about it.”
He urges regular and honest check-ins with friends and loved ones, especially during this time — and knowing you’re not alone in how you feel.
“I do truly believe that our community is strong and we're still here, we're fighting, and we're going to get back home at the end of the day, like, no matter what,” he said. “But it doesn't mean to say, it's not hard for people, and I do feel like a lot of people are feeling that right now.”
More mental health resources:
- Maui Nui Strong list of resources and free offerings
- DOH Maui Behavioral Health Clinics
- 988 Lifeline
Editor's note: This story includes discussion of suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.
