Breaking the trauma in 400 children in Puerto Rico

From July 2019 to July 2020, ESCAPE offered specialized services to children and their families in Puerto Rico to address and prevent post-traumatic stress disorders resulting from Hurricane Maria to minimize the occurrence of child abuse and family violence. The goal of the project was to serve 400 people. It ended with a total of 543 people served (171% >).

Starting in late December 2019, a series of earthquakes devastated southern Puerto Rico, forcing thousands to take shelter on the streets, in their cars and in government tents as their homes were destroyed. The situation left people on the island traumatized. At the time, many Puerto Ricans were still trying to recover from the shock of Hurricane Maria, a category five hurricane in September 2017.

COVID-19 has only added to the trauma; being at home can place some children at increased risk of, or increased exposure to, child protection incidents or make them witness to interpersonal violence if their home is not a safe place. On the other hand, adults are dealing with the economic impacts of the pandemic and their own fears, including lack of food and unemployment. Virus precautions have also made seeking both mental health care and community support networks more difficult and complicated. All this causing an increase in family violence.

For all the above, the psychological and support services of this project are more important than ever. During this period, services continues to serve not only those affected by the passage of hurricanes, but also those emotionally affected by the earthquakes and the actual pandemic.

To keep the team and participants safe, psychological services were initially delivered virtually, including support by phone and through virtual platforms. To this date, the services continue to be offered virtually and in-person. The face-to-face option is offered to participants with Internet challenges or to those who do not master or do not have access to technology.

Among all the psychological interventions identified, anxiety and depression stands out. These conditions together with the stressors related to the three natural disasters experienced on the island increased the occurrence of family violence by 69%. After the interventions, 82% of the families broke the cycles of violence.

In July 2020 we will start a second year of the project with the goal of offer services to 250 people to address and prevent post-traumatic stress disorders resulting from Hurricane Maria, earthquakes and the pandemic to minimize the occurrence of child abuse and family violence.

We hope everyone who reads this, and their families are safe.

Thanks for the support!